Competition and Consumer (Industry Code electricity Retail) regulations 2019 consultation

PIAC lodged a letter of submission in response to the consultation paper on the draft electricity regulations code (the code) implementing the Default Market offer Price. PIAC supports the implementation of a default pricing mechanism and is broadly supportive of the initial ACCC recommendation 30 from the Retail Electricity Pricing Inquiry (REPI).

PIAC contends that the draft Default Market Offer (DMO) and the draft code are not in-line with the initial recommendations, and are structured in a way that is unlikely to deliver substantial benefit to consumers, and unnecessarily exclude too many consumers. PIAC recommends a range of changes to the code, so that it more appropriately reflects the intent of the initial ACCC recommendations upon which it was based, and is a more effective guarantee of a fair price for consumers.