PIAC provided a response to the AER’s Retail Performance Reporting Procedures and Guidelines Issues Paper (the paper). The paper sought feedback on proposed changes to the reporting procedures and guidelines that outline what information retailers must provide to the AER as part of their quarterly performance reporting.
The AER’s role in monitoring energy retail markets is important in understanding the experiences and outcomes for energy consumers and helping to ensure the energy system is working for them. Retail performance reporting is a key transparency mechanism, providing crucial insights into how consumer outcomes are being achieved and prioritised by energy retailers in their provision of an essential service.
PIAC supported adding data on embedded networks, life support customers and consumers affected by family violence. These additional data points will allow greater transparency on how retailers are supporting particular vulnerable cohorts and will assist in directing policy and regulatory interventions to further address vulnerability.
PIAC also broadly supported refining current data points to make them more useful, including changing some debt indicators to allow greater transparency on energy affordability.
Alongside supporting changes put forward by the AER, PIAC suggested extra data that could be collected from retailers to more comprehensively track retail performance. These included:
- Data on offers actually available and accessed by consumers
- More qualitative data
- Data on the energy transformation, electrification, CER and green products
Reducing unfair fines and over-policing from alcohol-free zones