Module Application
- Does your organisation understand the legal and regulatory energy obligations they must comply with?
Is your organisation required to comply with the National Energy Customer Framework?
Does your organisation understand the legal requirements for selling or supplying electricity and gas?
Does your organisation understand how to navigate and comply with fundamental legislative and compliance requirements that surround the energy retail framework in Australia?
Module Scope
The ENERGY RETAIL module covers the following frameworks:
- National Energy Customer Framework
- Northern Territory Energy Framework
- Western Australia Energy Framework
The ENERGY RETAIL module also provides information to organisations in how to apply comply with legal responsibilities when doing the following:
- Energy Retail Authorisations
- Exemptions for Selling Retail Energy
- Hardship Policies
- Retail Pricing
- Retail Reporting
- Retailer Failure
- Australian Consumer Law
- Contracts
- Electricity Licensing
- Gas Licensing
- Technical and Safety Standards
- Metering
- Complaints
- Dispute Resolution
- De-energisation (Disconnection)
- Customers’ Life Support Equipment
The ENERGY RETAIL module also comprehensively covers the requirements surrounding energy in Australia including:
- Environmental Costs
- Marketing Rules
- Compensation
- Privacy
- Freedom of Information
- Third Party Contractors
- Solar Energy
Retailers, their employees and authorised individuals are all expected to be familiar with the broad landscape of legal and regulatory obligations to which they are subject as well as more specific obligations relevant to the particular sector in which they are operating. The ENERGY RETAIL module should be subscribed to by every organisation that works with electricity and gas. The aim of the module is to equip the subscriber with knowledge of their requirements under the Energy Retail Laws and the relevant systems and processes that should be implemented to ensure an effective compliance management system within the organisation.
The specific questions and answers covered by the module are:
- How to determine the licensing requirements to carry out selling and supplying electricity
- How to comply with licensing conditions for selling and supplying gas
- How to comply with the National Energy Customer Framework
- How to comply with the Northern Territory Energy Framework
- How to comply with the Western Australia Energy Framework
- How to obtain, maintain, transfer, and maintain an energy retail authorisation
- How to obtain an exemption for selling retail energy
- How to provide hardship policies to customers
- How to comply with pricing regulation and plans
- How to carry out retail reporting
- How to deal with retailer failure and the Retailer of Last Resort Scheme
- How to meet environmental obligations
- How to comply with Australian Consumer Law obligations
- How to discharge pre-contractual duties
- How to comply with contract duties
- How to fulfil electricity licensing requirements
- How to fulfil gas licensing requirements
- How to comply with technical and safety standards
- How to carry out energy marketing
- How to comply with metering installation requirements and meter reads
- How to deal with complaints
- How to resolve customer disputes via a dispute resolution process
- How to satisfy compensation claims and other remedies
- How to comply with privacy requirements
- How to comply with freedom of information requirements
- How to discharge duties to complete de-energisation (disconnection)
- How to discharge duty of care for contractors
- How to comply with life-support equipment needs
- How to fulfil solar energy duties
- How to strive for continuous improvement within energy retail systems
The ENERGY RETAIL module covers all an organisation’s obligations for selling and supplying gas and electricity including application of the Australian Standards and demonstrates practical assistance and guidance to ensure that these obligations are complied with through the implementation and maintenance of best practice processes throughout the organisation.
Significantly large penalties can be imposed if the organisation fails to meet the legislative obligations. The penalties that apply to retailers are, in some cases, also applicable to employees especially managers and supervisors who permitted the offence to occur. Such penalties can include pecuniary penalties, as well as criminal penalties resulting in imprisonment. The range of consequences that may be imposed on energy retail organisations is discussed in detail in this module.
The ENERGY RETAIL module covers the role and responsibilities of an organisation. It does not cover the role or actions to be taken by consumers in the event of a breach of regulations or obligations by an organisation.