PIAC made a submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) Bill Contents and Billing Requirements Draft rule determination. The ability for consumers to obtain a fair deal, budget for their bills, understand and control their energy usage, and access information regarding supports, is heavily dependent upon the information presented in energy bills. Inadequate, inconsistent or confusing information has a significant potential to inflict harm on consumers.
PIAC supports having a mandatory and enforceable AER guideline based on principles and guided by stakeholder consultation. The list of requirements in the current Rule 25(1) of the National Energy Retail Rules (NERR) is basic information that will not change in the near future and PIAC contends the current Rule 25(1) could be improved rather than removed, and worked in conjunction with the AER guideline.
Limited prescription has led to the current situation where bills are confusing. In its submission, PIAC makes a number of recommendations to improve the Draft rule regarding billing frequency, review periods and how the principles the AER must consider can be improved to benefit consumers.
