On 18 July the Australian Energy Regulator’s reconstituted Customer Consultative Group (CCG) held its first meeting.
The agenda included items on: the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC’s) Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry; the AER’s work on Retail Pricing Information Guidelines and the Sustainable Payments Plan Framework; the results from research on the AER’s price comparator website Energy Made Easy and potential enhancements.
The CCG Chair, Mr Jim Cox, also updated members on the AER’s work program, including on: the publication of the State of the Energy Market report in May 2017, the AEMC’s consultation on the AER’s life support rule change proposal and the Federal Court’s decision in relation to network costs in NSW and the ACT.
Further information about what was discussed at the CCG is included in the meeting communique.
The AER and current CCG members would like to acknowledge the significant contribution of previous CCG members and thank them for their participation in the group.
Background
The CCG is established under the National Energy Retail Rules and provides advice to the AER in relation to its functions under the energy laws affecting energy consumers across participating jurisdictions. The CCG meets up to three times a year and has twelve members — Alternative Technology Association, Brotherhood of St Laurence, CARE FCS, COTA Australia, Country Women’s Association Australia, Ethnic Communities Council NSW, National Retail Association, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, St Vincent de Paul Society, Tasmanian Council of Social Service, Queensland Council of Social Service and Uniting Communities.