Office Of Energy - The Consumer Watchdog

Electricity Reform

The Consumer Watchdog

In addition to the uniform tariff, a number of other consumer protection measures have been introduced, including:

an independent Energy Ombudsman to provide residential and small business customers with access to a mechanism for resolving disputes with network operators and electricity retailers at no cost to the customer;
a Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers that regulates and controls the behaviour of network operators and retailers and specifies levels of service;
regulations to ensure that residential and small business customers can be connected to a distribution network at the least cost to the customer if the customer is located within a specified distance to the network;
a standard contract that will specify the price and other terms and conditions for the supply of electricity by Western Power Retail (Synergy) to its tariff customers;
development of an electricity licensing regime, which provides for the monitoring and enforcement of the various consumer initiatives; and
retention of existing Government energy concessions.