Submission on Better Energy Customer Experiences

The Justice and Equity Centre led a joint consumer and community response to Commonwealth DCCEEW’s consultation paper on Better Energy Customer Experiences. The submission was co-signed by ACOSS, Consumer Action Law Centre, Consumer Policy Research Centre, First Nations Clean Energy Network, QCOSS, SACOSS and the Tenants’ Union of NSW.

The Better Energy Customer Experiences policy process draws together a series of ongoing reform processes, predominantly in the energy retail market. The consultation paper put out by the Department sought stakeholder views on a wide range of potential reform priorities, both within the National Energy Customer Framework and outside of it. Potential reform areas identified by the Department included:

• Modernisation of the National Energy Customer Framework to ensure robust consumer protections for future energy services
• Exploring the introduction of an overarching consumer duty in energy
• Improving protections for customers in different market settings, including embedded networks and prepayment arrangements

As this is the first round of engagement in what is likely to be a multiple-year process, our organisations provided the department with a range of recommendations on how to ensure a robust process that leverages the expertise of the consumer and community sector.

We see this process as a crucial opportunity to initiate the fundamental reforms required to ensure energy services meet the needs of all people, equitably underpinning health, wellbeing and socio-economic inclusion.