FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the National Energy Customer Framework?

What are the National Energy Retail Rules and what do they cover?

What are the National Electricity Rules and what do they cover?

What are the National Gas Rules and what do they cover?

What states and territories are participating in the National Energy Customer Framework?

Do the customer protections under the National Energy Customer Framework apply to me?

What difference will the National Energy Customer Framework make to me?

When the National Energy Customer Framework starts, will I notice anything different?

Where can I find out more about electricity bill benchmarking?

Will the National Energy Customer Framework lead to lower energy prices?

What do I do if I am having difficulty in paying my electricity or gas bill?

When should I contact the Australian Energy Market Commission?

What if I have an issue with my current energy supplier, or I wish to make a complaint?

What is an energy ombudsman?

Who is my energy ombudsman and what are the contact details?

What is the National Energy Customer Framework?

The National Energy Customer Framework is the name given to the broad national arrangement that has been developed to support the efficient operation of the electricity and natural gas retail markets, while also ensuring that there are appropriate consumer protections in place for residential and small customers.

This involves the transfer of previously existing state and territory responsibilities (for participating jurisdictions) for energy customer protections to a new national regulatory regime that governs the sale and supply of electricity and natural gas to retail customers.

What are the National Energy Retail Rules and what do they cover?

The National Energy Retail Rules govern the sale and supply of energy (electricity and natural gas) from retailers and distributors to customers.

While some of the rules have general application to all customers, most are primarily focussed on the sale and supply of energy to residential and small customers, such as those that set out the consumer protection measures and model contract terms and conditions.

These rules are an important part of the National Energy Customer Framework.

What are the National Electricity Rules and what do they cover?

The National Electricity Rules govern the operation of the wholesale electricity market, that is, the market arrangements for the commercial exchange of electricity from the electricity producers (generators) through to the electricity retailers. This includes the transmission (transportation) of electricity by transmission and distribution network companies from the producers to the retailers, but does not cover the point of retail sale to end users.

The rules apply to the Commonwealth adjacent areas and those states and territories that are electrically connected - Queensland, NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, collectively referred to as the National Electricity Market, or the NEM.

Chapter 5A of these rules, which sets out electricity connections for retail customers, is relevant to consumers.

What are the National Gas Rules and what do they cover?

The National Gas Rules govern the operation of the Short Term Trading Market (STTM), which is the market for the trading of natural gas at the wholesale level between production facilities, pipelines and gas retailers. The STTM currently only operates at defined physical locations, or hubs, in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. These hubs all operate independently of each other, but under the same set of rules.

Chapter 12A of these rules, which sets out gas connections for retail customers, is relevant to consumers.

What states and territories are participating in the National Energy Customer Framework?

On 1 July 2012, the jurisdictions of Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Commonwealth became the first jurisdictions to implement the customer framework. Other jurisdictions are expected to follow in accordance with their own implementation plans. Western Australian and the Northern Territory are not adopting the customer framework as separate energy industry frameworks apply in these jurisdictions.

Do the customer protections under the National Energy Customer Framework apply to me?

If you are:

a residential or small customer; or
on life support equipment; or
experiencing hardship;

and your premises are located within one of the participating states or territories, you will be covered by the consumer protection provisions established under the customer framework.

If you are a customer with energy consumption levels that exceed the thresholds of a small customer, then the consumer protection provisions do not apply to you. Rather your supply is covered by the terms and conditions of your individual supply contract/s.

However, rules that lie outside of the consumer protection provisions, such as the rules that relate to connections, will apply to all consumers generally.

What difference will the National Energy Customer Framework make to me?

Changes that have been introduced by the National Energy Customer Framework recognise that many of our day-to-day activities are increasingly dependent on the availability of a reliable electricity and/or natural gas supply.

By creating obligations for retailers and distributors in their dealings with residential and small customers, the new law will ensure that residential and small customers have access to energy services on reasonable terms.

If you are a residential or small customer, you will have the benefit of specific consumer protections established under the customer framework over your electricity and natural gas supply, including:

a requirement for relevant energy retailers to develop customer hardship policies to assist customers, facing hardship or financial difficulty, to gain access to electricity and gas on an agreed and affordable payment plan;
new rules to make sure that you are given full information before entering into an energy contract, so that you understand the costs and options that are being presented to you. This is designed to improve your understanding and confidence that the choices you make are the best ones for you; and
protection from disconnection if someone in your household requires life support equipment.

When the National Energy Customer Framework starts, will I notice anything different?

Once the national laws become operational in your state or territory, the consumer protections under the customer framework will apply. You will not have to do anything further to receive the benefit of these protections, if you meet the requirements set out. Please click here to find out if they apply.

There should be no significant difference to the way your electricity or natural gas services are delivered. You may however notice some additional information on your electricity bills which will allow you to compare your electricity use to similar sized households in your area. This is called ‘electricity bill benchmarking' and should provide you with an opportunity to make an informed choice about how you use your energy. If your energy use is high, then there may be opportunities to make changes to the way you use it that will reduce your costs. Your electricity retailer will advise you when these changes come in to effect and will provide you with further information if you have any questions. These changes will not appear on your gas bills.

Where can I find out more about electricity bill benchmarking and understanding my electricity usage?

More information about electricity bill benchmarking is available from the website of the Australian Energy Regulator, including their Energy Made Easy website.

Will the National Energy Customer Framework lead to lower energy prices?

Retail energy price decisions are made by relevant state and territory governments.

The National Energy Customer Framework does not deal with pricing matters: rather it is about providing a base level of protection for residential and small customers while achieving retail energy market efficiency and effectiveness. However, the mechanisms in the customer framework are designed to ensure that you, as an energy customer, benefit from improved retail processes by giving you the information that you need, in a form that you understand, so that you can make good decisions about your energy supply to meet your own needs.

It also provides minimum protections to you if you are facing hardship, by requiring all retailers to develop policies that will assist you to gain access to electricity and gas supply on an agreed and affordable payment plan.

What do I do if I am having difficulty in paying my electricity or gas bill?

If you are a residential or small customer and you are experiencing difficulties in meeting your energy bills, ask your electricity or gas retailer about the customer hardship measures that they have in place. These are designed to assist you to manage your energy bills on an on-going basis.

Alternatively, you can find more general information about energy supply and consumer protections from the website of the Australian Energy Regulator.

When should I contact the Australian Energy Market Commission?

The Commission is the rule maker for the electricity, gas and - from 1 July 2012 - retail energy markets in Australia.

If you have a question or concern about a specific energy retail rule, and require clarification about its operation, or think that it should be changed in some way to improve its operation or the outcome of its operation, then you should consider lodging a rule change proposal for our consideration.

General guidelines to provide you with assistance in preparing a rule change proposal are available from our website page, Preparing and lodging documents with the AEMC.

What if I have an issue with my current energy supplier, or I wish to make a complaint?

If you have an issue about energy billing or supply, or you have a complaint about your retailer or distributor:

You must try and resolve the issue with your service provider directly, first. If you are not sure who your service provider is, your last invoice from them should provide you with the name and contact details.
If you have approached your service provider about your issue and feel that it has not been satisfactorily resolved, then you may wish to contact your jurisdictional energy ombudsman and register a formal complaint.

If you are not sure what option you should take, or have other concerns or questions, please contact your energy ombudsman to discuss.

What is an energy ombudsman?

Most jurisdictions have an energy ombudsman whose role is to receive, investigate and facilitate the resolution of customer complaints about electricity or gas companies operating in their jurisdiction (in many jurisdictions they will also look into complaints about water companies). The services provided to consumers are free of charge.

If you have approached your service provider about your issue and feel that it has not been satisfactorily resolved, then you may wish to contact your energy ombudsman and register a formal complaint.

Who is my energy ombudsman and what are the contact details?

The energy ombudsman is jurisdiction specific: contact details are available here.