On 18 April 2013 the Australian Energy Regulator’s Customer Consultative Group (CCG) met in Melbourne for the first time this year.
The AER Chair, Mr Andrew Reeves, discussed the commencement of the National Energy Customer Framework (NECF), the AER’s 2013 compliance and enforcement priorities and the AER’s Better Regulation program.
The meeting also covered a broad range of topics relevant to energy customers. These included:
- a discussion on the AER’s approach to the development of a service provider consumer engagement guideline
- the AER’s development of a stakeholder engagement framework
- an overview of the billing provisions in the Retail Law and a discussion of current issues relating to billing and
- an update by the Energy and Water Ombudsman South Australia, Mr Sandy Canale.
Background
The CCG is established under rule 172 of 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 nine members—Australian Council of Social Service, Australian Council on the Ageing, Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Queensland Council of Social Service, Saint Vincent de Paul Society, Tasmanian Council of Social Service and Uniting Communities.