Market Review: Completed
Overview
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has made final recommendations to improve the regulatory framework for metering services and enable consumers to access the benefits of smart meters sooner. The Commission recommends that the deployment of smart meters should be accelerated to target reaching 100% of 'small customers’ including residential and small commercial or business customers by 2030.
Smart meters provide the digital foundation for a modern, connected and efficient energy system. The Commission’s proposed reforms would create a metering framework that more effectively supports an energy system in transition. Our recommendations would enable metering services to better support customers’ needs now and in the future.
The Commission has found that there is a clear case for accelerating the deployment of smart meters and implementing supporting reforms. Achieving a critical mass of smart meter deployment in a timely and cost-effective way will help deliver greater benefits to customers – and deliver them earlier.
Final report
Our package of reforms includes a framework to create smart meter installation programs for retailers, through plans developed by DNSPs. We also put forward a range of supporting recommendations that would:
- streamline the smart meter installation process
- unlock benefits from smart meter data and services
- create a more positive customer experience.
The final report includes 21 recommendations which reflect the wide range of suggestions, perspectives, and issues that stakeholders have shared with the Commission in submissions and at the Review’s forums and reference groups.
Next steps
Given this Review’s recommended 2030 target, any subsequent rule change and other regulatory processes required to implement the reforms would need to be completed in a timely manner. The Commission is committed to prioritising the rule change process should such a request be received.
Background
On 3 December 2020 the Commission initiated this review into the regulatory framework for metering services.
The purpose of the review was to determine whether the reforms introduced under the Expanding competition in metering and related services (Competition in metering) rule change have met expectations, whether changes are required to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the regulatory framework for metering services, and whether the regulatory framework for metering services supports the implementation of other electricity sector reforms where metering services will play a role.