Legislation giving effect to the new National Energy Retail Law (Retail Law) passed both houses of South Australian Parliament without amendment on 9 March 2011 and received Royal Assent on 17 March 2011. The Ministerial Council on Energy agreed on 10 December 2010 that jurisdictions would work toward a common target date of 1 July 2012 for commencement of the Retail Law and National Energy Retail Rules (Retail Rules).
Under the Retail Rules (r. 116), a retailer cannot disconnect a customer for non payment where the amount owing is less than an amount approved by the AER (and the customer has agreed to repay that amount).
The AER is currently considering what amount should be approved as the minimum amount owing on a customer’s bill before disconnection for non payment.
The AER has published a consultation letter to stakeholders, seeking views on the proposed minimum disconnection amount of $300, and other relevant considerations. The AER held a stakeholder forum on 24 January 2012 in Melbourne (with video links to other capital cities and Townsville). The views put forward at that forum have informed the consultation letter
The AER is seeking written submissions from stakeholders until 9 March 2012.
Electronic submission can be emailed to AERinquiry
aer [dot] gov [dot] au (AERinquiry[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au) with the subject line ‘Minimum disconnection amounts – attn Naomi Feast’. Alternatively, submissions can be mailed to:
Acting General Manager
Retail Markets Branch, AER
GPO Box 520
Melbourne VIC 3001