On 25 September 2025, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) made a more preferable final retail rule (final rule). This is in response to a rule change request from the Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, as Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council (ECMC) to improve the application of concessions to bills.  

Our final determination seeks to increase the number of consumers accessing concessions they are eligible for. It will do this by requiring retailers to, whenever entering a contract with a consumer (either at sign-up or when a consumer is switching their contract):

• inform consumers about the relevant concession, rebate and relief schemes specifically available in their jurisdiction
• ask consumers if they are eligible for any of those concession, rebate or relief schemes.  

The rule will take effect on 1 July 2026.

We also recommend actions by other parties to address barriers consumers face when accessing concessions, including for:

• Jurisdictions, Services Australia and DCCEEW - to participate in a cross-agency forum, including retailers and consumer advocates where appropriate, to: 
  • Determine next steps on the AER’s Game Changer recommendation to automate the application of concessions.  
  • facilitate Services Australia and jurisdictions providing more detailed information to consumers on rebates and concessions when they receive the relevant cards
  • resolve process barriers, including establishing straightforward processes for fixing verification issues
  • consider jurisdictional changes to streamline verification process requirements.
• AER - to develop and update guidance and guidelines so that:
  • retailers are informed of good practices for communications with customers regarding concessions, including informing consumers that concessions do not automatically transfer
  • first and final bills include information that concessions do not transfer and that they will need to reapply for any concession with their new retailer (Better Bills Guideline)
  • the expanded obligations apply to exempt sellers (Exempt Selling Guideline).
• Retailers - to consider process changes to streamline how consumers add concession details to their accounts. For example, through a dedicated phone line or easy-to-find page in a customer's online account.

Our final rule and recommendations were informed by the jurisdictional nature of concession and rebate programs, the diversity of barriers consumers face when accessing concessions, the incentive retailers already have to apply concessions, and our ability to consider tools in addition to rule changes. 

Background

We published a consultation paper on 6 February, receiving 21 submissions. Stakeholders largely agreed with the barriers consumers encounter set out in the rule change request.

On 15 May and 19 June 2025, the Commission extended the period of time for making the draft determination to 19 June and then 3 July 2025 under section 266 of the NERL.

On 3 July 2025, we published a draft determination, receiving 19 submissions that largely supported the direction of the rule change and recommendations. Consumer advocates and ombudsmen urged additional contact obligations throughout a consumer’s contract, while retailers raised concerns that the requirement to provide jurisdiction-specific information would be complex. Retailers also requested some additional clarification in the rule drafting.  

ECMC Package

The rule change request forms part of the broader ECMC consumer rule change package submitted on 12 and 29 August 2024. The package includes seven rule change requests that together seek to help households access cheaper energy deals, increase support for people experiencing hardship and deliver more protections for consumers.

The  Improving consumer confidence in energy retail plans (which combined four of the seven rule change requests) and Assisting hardship customers rule change published final determinations on 19 June 2025. Improving the ability to switch to a better offer published a final determination on 11 September 2025.