PIAC responded to the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) consultation paper on the review of the Retail Pricing Information Guidelines (the Guidelines).
We outline a number of concerns with the Guidelines in our submission.
We highlight the Guidelines contain a number of amendments that effectively remove the requirement for third party price comparison websites, sales websites or sales agents advertising electricity plans to provide customers with a link to the Basic Plan Information Document (BPID), or a hard copy of the BPIB or Detailed Plan Information Document (DPID) through in-person marketing.
We consider this narrows the application of the Guidelines and may create different outcomes for gas versus electricity customers, and for electricity customers searching for an offer through a third party compared to those dealing with a retailer directly.
To address this, we make a number of recommendations, including to retain clauses 168, 178, 180-181 and 186 of the Guidelines relating to agents and third parties.
We also provide input on comparison rates and reference prices, language requirements and timeframes.
Reducing unfair fines and over-policing from alcohol-free zones