Retail competition update: Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and ACT allow small customers to choose their supplier of both electricity and gas
Customers can choose supplier: Prior to the commencement of the market reforms for electricity and gas, small customers had no choice regarding their preferred supplier of energy. Instead, energy customers were required to take supply from the incumbent retailer for their region. Now Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) allow small customers to choose their supplier of both electricity and gas. Tasmania has full retail contestability (FRC) for gas, and Queensland is currently introducing full retail contestability for its electricity and gas customers.
Customer consumption thresholds: The small customer consumption threshold for electricity in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the ACT was usage less than 160MWh per annum; less than 20GWh per annum in Tasmania and less than 100MWh per annum in Queensland. The small customer consumption threshold in gas was usage less than 1 TJ per annum in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the ACT; less than 5TJ in Victoria; and less than 10TJ in Tasmania. See Retail Policy Working Group for more details, National Framework for Distribution and Retail Regulation Working Paper 1, November 2006, pp. 6-7, 8.
Reference: Australian Energy Market Commission, Review of the effectiveness of competition in the gas and electricity retail markets, Statement of Approach, 19 April 2007, http://www.aemc.gov.au fc/fc/g4316_eweek_1.jpg
19/4/2007p. 3