The Australian Energy Regulator has released its revised Retail Pricing Information Guidelines and accompanying Notice of Final Instrument.
We have consulted extensively on the issues covered by the revised Guidelines including through a September 2017 Issues Paper, a stakeholder Reference Group which met fortnightly from October to December 2017, stakeholder submissions on the draft Guidelines, stakeholder meetings from February to April 2018 and consumer research.
The revised Guidelines address the complexity of energy market information being a barrier to customer engagement.
The key changes to the Guidelines include:
- replacing the requirement for retailers to provide an Energy Price Fact Sheet with a requirement that each energy plan have two separate documents – a Basic Plan Information Document and a Detailed Plan Information Document
- changes relating to display of plan information on websites, in advertising and marketing material
- new requirements for the use of clearer and simpler language, and
- clarifying the definition of generally available plans.
Version 5.0 of the Guidelines commences on 31 August 2018, although specific obligations in the Guidelines will take effect in stages to assist retailers and their agents to manage compliance with a number of obligations we recognise may take time to implement. The obligations will come into effect on 31 August 2018, 1 October 2018 and 1 January 2019. Details of the affected obligations are in the Notice of Final Instrument.