Rule Change: Completed
Overview
On 11 July 2019 the AEMC published a final determination and decided not to make a final rule to require retailers to include start and end meter readings in electricity bills for customers with interval meters.
The Commission is of the view that the materiality of the issue raised by the rule change request is insufficient to make the proposed rule.
The analysis undertaken by the AEMC indicates that:
- Not including start and end meter readings in the bill is not a material issue for most electricity customers with interval meters.
- Start and end meter readings would be insufficient to allow customers with interval meters to reconcile their bills. The proposed change could have an unintended consequence of increasing consumer confusion, considering that such meter readings would not always correspond to the customer’s energy usage (as interval meters measure usage in intervals and not on a cumulative basis).
- There are alternative market measures that can assist in achieving the purpose of the rule change request. The market already offers various tools for customers to verify their energy consumption that are more effective than the proposed rule change. The current rules also provide an adequate framework that assists consumers in case they need additional support to check their bill or their meter.
- It is not likely that including start and end meter readings in electricity bills would increase trust or transparency in the market. Therefore, the increased levels of regulatory and administrative costs that would arise if a rule is made would not be justified.
On this basis, the Commission determined that the proposed rule to the current bill content requirements in the NERR is not in the long-term interests of consumers and will not, or is not likely to, contribute to the achievement of the National Electricity Rules Objective (NERO) at this time.
Background
On 18 June 2018, the AEMC received a rule change request from Mr Craig Whybrow (the proponent) to amend the NERR.
The proponent considered that a rule change should be made requiring all electricity retailers to display start and end meter readings in the bill for every customer with an advanced interval meter (smart meter).
On 31 January 2019 the AEMC published a consultation paper identifying specific issues. Submissions closed on 28 March 2019 and we received 15 submissions as part of this first round of consultation.
On 18 April 2019, the AEMC published a draft determination to not make a rule. Submissions on the draft determination closed on 30 May 2019 and we received 11 submissions.