On 21 March, the Australian Energy Regulator’s Customer Consultative Group (CCG) held its first meeting for 2017.
The agenda included items on: consumer research being undertaken by CCG members and the AER; the AER’s work with the Australia and New Zealand Energy and Water Ombudsman Network (ANZEWON) on expanding dispute resolution services for customers of exempt sellers; and recent activity in the wholesale electricity and gas markets.
The CCG Chair, Mr Jim Cox, also updated members on the AER’s work program, including: a rule change proposal we recently submitted to the AEMC on life support provisions, activities to increase awareness the Energy Made Easy price comparison website, and our recently released decisions on Tariff Structure Statements.
This was the last meeting with the current group, whose three-year term expires in April 2017. Mr Cox thanked members for their contributions. A new group will be appointed prior to the next CCG meeting later this year.
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 eleven members — Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre, COTA Australia, Energy Consumers Australia, Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, National Retail Association, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, Queensland Council of Social Service, St Vincent de Paul Society, Tasmanian Council of Social Service and Uniting Communities.