Rule Change: Completed
Overview
On 23 June 2016 the AEMC published its final determination and final rule in relation to the meter read and billing frequency rule change request.
The rule enables retailers to bill more small customers on a standing offer on the basis of their actual energy consumption. It does this by providing retailers with some flexibility regarding when they issue a bill if a meter read from a Metering Data Provider is delayed. The rule applies to both electricity and gas retail standing offers.
Bills based on actual consumption data give better information to small customers to help them make informed decisions about how they use energy and the new technologies they invest in. Similarly, frequent bills provide consumers with more timely information about their energy usage and costs.
The final rule achieves a balance between the accuracy of bills (which depends on getting metering data) and the frequency of billing.
Background
On 15 September 2015, the AEMC received a rule change request from Ergon Energy Queensland to amend the National Energy Retail Rules.
The rule change request sought to enable retailers to delay issuing a bill to a small customer supplied under a standing offer until a meter read is provided by the relevant Metering Data Provider. This was to provide small customers with bills based on actual consumption, reducing the number of estimated bills issued.
The AEMC initiated the rule change process and published a consultation paper on the rule change request on 17 December 2015.