The AER has published an issues paper on its proposed approach to retail market performance reporting under the National Energy Retail Law, Rules and Regulations.
Under the proposed Retail Law the AER will be required to publish retail market performance reports. These reports will include:
- a retail market overview, providing information on the number of retailers and customers in the market along with customer transfers and the affordability of energy;
- a retail market activities report, covering the performance of energy retailers in areas such as the handling of customers experiencing payment difficulties, disconnections, prepayment meters, concessions and security deposits, customer service and complaints;
- a report on the performance of retailers by reference to the national hardship indicators, which have been the subject of a separate consultation; and
- a report on distributor service standards and the small claims compensation regime.
This issues paper represents the AER’s preliminary consultation on its proposed approach to the performance reporting regime under the proposed Retail Law. Responses to the paper will assist the AER to develop its approach to performance reporting under the retail framework and the development of the Performance Reporting Procedures and Guidelines that support the reporting framework. These Guidelines will be the subject of formal consultation once the Retail Law has passed.
The AER invites written submissions by 13 August 2010. Submissions should be sent to AERInquiry
aer [dot] gov [dot] au (AERInquiry[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au).
Submissions will be treated as public documents and placed on the AER’s website unless otherwise requested. For information regarding the use and disclosure of information, please refer to the ACCC–AER information policy: the Collection, Use and Disclosure of Information.
The AER will hold a stakeholder forum on Wednesday 4 August 2010 from 1pm to 5pm (AEST). AER staff will be located in Melbourne for this forum, but there will be video conference links to all capital cities in participating jurisdictions. To register your participation at the forum, please send an email to AERInquiryaer [dot] gov [dot] au (AERInquiry[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au) by 21 July 2010, indicating the city in which you will attend. The subject of the email should state "Registration for Retail Market Performance Reporting Forum - attention Lynley Jorgensen". Registration for the forum is essential as spaces are limited. Stakeholders are asked to nominate no more than one participant each.
The AER has also released an Issues Paper on Retail Exemptions. Submissions on this paper close on 2 August 2010. Two public forums will be held on Thursday 19 August (with AER staff in Melbourne and video links to Canberra and Hobart) and Friday 20 August (AER staff in Adelaide and video links to Sydney and Brisbane). Further details are on the AER’s website.