The Australian Energy Market Commission is calling for submissions on a draft rule to give customers with shared fusing greater certainty over when their meter will be installed or replaced.
Shared fusing is when customers in separate premises share electricity connections, for example in some apartment blocks. This means the supply of all customers who share the connection may need to be interrupted for metering work.
In these circumstances, if a customer’s supply cannot be interrupted without interrupting supply to one or more other customers, then the current metering installation timeframes do not apply.
To address this gap, today’s draft rule introduces new timeframes for meter installations for customers with shared fusing.
When a customer requests a new meter, retailers will be required to install the meter within 30 business days of the shared fusing being discovered.
Similarly, a metering coordinator will be required to fix a malfunctioning meter within 30 business days of the shared fusing being discovered.
When a retailer or metering coordinator asks a distribution business to carry out a planned interruption to install or repair a meter, the distribution business must carry out the interruption within 25 business days of the request. The current rules for notifying customers about a supply interruption would apply - that is, distribution businesses must obtain consent from all affected customers or provide four business days’ notice.
The draft rule clarifies that retailers may arrange a supply interruption to any of their own customers with shared fusing for the purpose of installing, maintaining, repairing or replacing metering equipment, not just the customer receiving the new meter.
To help minimise site visits for future installations, the draft rule also includes a requirement for retailers and metering parties to notify the distribution business as soon as practicable of any shared fusing situations they have identified. This information must then be shared with market participants.
Submissions on the draft determination and draft rule are due by 13 February 2020.
Media: Kellie Bisset, Media & Content Manager, 0438 490 041; (02) 8296 7813
Background: Metering roles and responsibilities:
