On 6 February 2025, the Commission published a consultation paper in response to a rule change request from the Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, as Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council (ECMC). This rule change seeks to amend the National Energy Retail Rules to require retailers to proactively seek information from consumers on their eligibility for energy concessions or rebates. The rule change request builds on the Australian Energy Regulator’s Game Changer report presented to the ECMC in December 2023.

We welcome stakeholder feedback on the consultation paper to inform the next stage of assessment. Feedback is due by 6 March 2025.

We are seeking input on:

• the key barriers to consumers not receiving concessions or rebates at sign-up, including whether retailers not asking consumers about their eligibility up creates a barrier, and if so, how  
• what happens to consumer access to concessions or rebates when they transfer retailers
• how retailers could best ask or inform consumers about their eligibility for concessions or rebates at sign up
• what should happen when an eligible customer transfers retailers to ensure they retain access to concessions
• how retailers could best inform or ask current customers about their eligibility for concessions or rebates.

This rule change forms part of a package of seven rule change requests submitted by the Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, as Chair of the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council (ECMC):

• Ensuring energy plan benefits last the length of the contract
• Preventing price increases for a fixed period under market retail contracts 
• Improving the ability to switch to a better offer 
• Assisting hardship customers
• Removing fees and charges 
• Improving the application of concessions to bills
• Removing unreasonable conditional discounts

The rule change process has been initiated for all of the rule change requests (see project webpages).