On 4 December 2025, the Commission published a consultation paper in response to four rule change requests that aim to support metering coordinators’ (MCs’) compliance with:

• testing and inspecting obligations under the NER
• repairing metering installation malfunctions within timeframes specified in the NER and AEMO’s malfunction Exemption procedure.

Submissions to the consultation paper are due on 15 January 2026.

Given the interactions with these rule change requests, we have consolidated them into a single rule change process called Supporting compliance with meter maintenance obligations rule change (ERC0419/RRC0070).

The consolidated rule change requests we are consulting on are:

• Changes to the meter testing framework for large customers submitted by Yurika Metering on 2 June 2025.  
• Compliance with metering testing requirements submitted by PLUS ES on 15 July 2025.  
• Improving the metering installation maintenance framework submitted by Intellihub on 10 October 2025.  
• Supporting metering compliance submitted by AEMO on 22 September 2025.

The rule change requests propose changes to the meter testing and inspection framework

The rule change requests consider that existing arrangements make it challenging for MCs to meet their testing and inspection obligations. The two key challenges outlined in the requests are that:

• MCs require assistance or cooperation from retailers and large customers to perform testing and inspection obligations.
• The current process for obtaining test certificates for HV voltage or current transformer (VT or CT) is inefficient.

The rule change requests propose different solutions to improve MCs’ compliance with their testing and inspection obligations:

• Yurika proposes allowing retailers to disconnect a large customer's premises for non-compliant metering.
• PLUS ES proposes requiring testing and inspection obligations to be included in commercial agreements.
• Intellihub proposes requiring retailers to inform large customers that MCs are required to test and inspect metering installations.
• AEMO proposes changing how unaccounted for Energy is allocated among retailers.

We consider that these proposed solutions are not mutually exclusive.  

Intellihub also raised an issue with the malfunction framework. It considers that MCs would not be able to repair malfunctions, even with the extended timeframes available in circumstances that are outside MCs' control.  

Intellihub proposes the rules to require AEMO to consider additional circumstances where MCs need more time to repair malfunctions.

We are interested in your views on the issues raised and solutions proposed in the consultation paper. Stakeholder submissions are due by 15 January 2026.