On 12 October 2021, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) varied fifteen individual exemptions to include energy ombudsman scheme membership as a core condition:
- Australian Unity Retirement Living Services Limited
- Body Corporate for Space The Residence CTS 34806
- Body Corporate for The Pinnacles Caloundra CTS 33776
- Body Corporate of The Waratah Main Beach CTS 16570
- Couran Point Services Pty Ltd
- CPE Central Park Pty Ltd
- Freshwater Point CTS 35855
- Northwind CTS 10720
- Park Avenue at South Bank LBUP 101696
- Pumicestone Blue CTS 33280
- Riviere on Golden Beach CTS 25001
- Riyala CTS 32485
- RTA Weipa Pty Ltd
- Seabrae CTS 16658
- STUCCO Co-operative Ltd
Background
In July 2021 the AER informed the registrants of our intention to vary the conditions of their individual exemption. The variation related to the amendments the AER made in March 2018 to its Network and Retail Exemption Guidelines to include energy ombudsman scheme membership as a core condition.
Retail and network exemption holders that sell or supply energy to residential customers in South Australia, the ACT and New South Wales must now join the relevant ombudsman scheme. Retail and network exemption holders that sell or supply energy to residential customers in Queensland will be required to join the relevant ombudsman scheme when permitted to do so in the future.
Specifically, exemptions granted to individual exemption holders who sell electricity to residential customers will now require the seller:
- to be a member of, or subject to, an energy ombudsman scheme for each jurisdiction where it sells energy to exempt customers and
- comply with the requirements of that scheme.
The AER may amend the conditions of any exemptions that it has approved. Under the National Energy Retail Rules (Retail Rules) changing a condition is taken to be changing the exemption itself and is subject to the retail consultation process specified in the Retail Rules.