Customer hardship regulatory amendments

As part of the Customer Assistance Policy, the NSW Government has made amendments to the Electricity Supply (General) Regulation 2001 and the Gas Supply (Natural Gas Retail Competition) Regulation 2001 ('the Regulations') to enhance protections for NSW energy customers in financial difficulty. The amended version of the Regulations can be found on the NSW Legislation website.

The amendments were made in consultation with stakeholders including industry and consumer groups. See the list of submissions received during consultation.

The amendments require that retailers develop, implement and publish on the retailer's website a Customer Hardship Charter for the benefit of residential customers who are identified as experiencing financial difficulty, according to the retailers Customer Hardship Charter.

The amendments also require that a retailer's Customer Hardship Charter include:

• processes to identify Hardship Customers at an early stage, including a process to enable customers experiencing hardship to 'self-identify' to the retailer;
• flexible payment options for Hardship Customers; and
• processes to identify any appropriate Government concession programs and appropriate financial counselling services for Hardship Customers.

In addition, a retailer may not disconnect a residential customer unless the retailer has made two separate written offers of assistance under the retailer's payment plan in the previous 12 months if the customer is experiencing financial difficulty.