AusNet Services Price Reset Consultation Information
Emily Wood | August 14, 2018
DRAFT AGENDA: FRIDAY 24 AUGUST 10-12 NOON
- Customer Forum process – update, further consultation on in and out of scope matters in lead up to submission
- Price – reliability trade-offs for business customers and outage communications
- Experience of the interface with AusNet Services
- Views on the matters that are in scope in the AER Guidance note
- Pricing for large business customers
Details from AusNet Services
What is the EDPR Customer Forum?
As part of our customer engagement for our 2021-25 electricity distribution price reset (EDPR), we are the first Australian utility business to trial a new process that places customers at the heart of developing our expenditure plans. This new process involves the establishment of a Customer Forum (member biographies below) that is capable of representing the perspective of our customers, having regard to the extensive customer research we are undertaking, and the views expressed directly to the Forum by customers, consumer advocates and other stakeholders.
Since March 2018, we have been taking the Forum through an education/induction phase covering our business, the regulatory framework and what we know what about our customers. From September to November 2018, we will seek to negotiate aspects of our 2021-25 regulatory proposal with the Customer Forum, before a draft proposal is published for public consultation with wider stakeholders in early December 2018, and then formally submitted to the AER in July 2019. We have strong support from consumer advocates and the AER for this trial. The AER is also playing an important role in guiding and providing input to this new process.
The arrangements for the Customer Forum have been developed in consultation with the AER and Energy Consumers Australia. The arrangements are documented in an Early Engagement Plan (attached) which has been formally approved by the AER. Further information is available at our website here, including the content presented to the Forum so far and an overview of the Forum’s stakeholder engagement activities.
EDPR Customer Forum – Member biographies
Tony Robinson – Chair
Tony is a former Victorian MP who served in various roles including Minister for Consumer Affairs, Cabinet Secretary and Chair of the Parliamentary Economic Development Committee. As Minister he played a key role in the establishment of Australian Consumer Law, product safety regime reform and the transfer of credit responsibility to the Commonwealth. After leaving Parliament he worked as the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Senior Manager for Financial Inclusion and has been a member of the ACCC’s Consumer Consultative Committee, Yarra Valley Water’s Community Advisory Group, Insurance Australia Group’s Consumer Advisory Board and the CBA Customer Advocate Community Council. Tony is also a current board member of Financial Counselling Australia.
Helen Bartley
Helen has more than 25 years quantitative and qualitative research experience designing and conducting market and social research and evaluations across a wide variety of industry sectors, with specific experience in customer engagement processes, including establishing and supporting Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water’s (GWMWater) customer deliberative panel associated with its pricing submission to the Victoria’s Essential Services Commission throughout 2017. This involved reviewing and synthesising GWMWater’s technical documentation into a format that is meaningful and relevant for senior management and customers, and preparing a detailed report on the processes and outcomes associated with the panel’s deliberations.
John Mumford
John has over 25 years’ experience representing consumers while working as a Financial Counsellor and Consumer Advocate in South Gippsland. He is currently an Affiliate Member of the Financial and Consumer Rights Council (FCRC) and has held Consumer Directorships with the Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) (EWOV), the Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre (CUAC) and the Consumer Law Centre Victoria (CLCV). John and his family run a small beef cattle and hazelnut farm in South Gippsland.
Greg Camm
Greg is a former financial services senior executive, with three CEO roles in banking, wealth management/life insurance and superannuation. He currently serves on a number of Boards and is a former Director of Yarra Valley Water, where he had significant involvement in the Citizens Jury process it undertook as part of the development of its most recent pricing submission development.
Dianne Rule
Dianne has worked in education, publishing, politics and community projects for 35 years. Her work experience has given her a sound working knowledge of government, governance, media, policy formation, strategic planning, financial management and marketing. Dianne is a former Chief of Staff and senior advisor to both State and Federal MPs, has served on a number of boards and is a member of the Cancer Australia Advisory Council and Chair of The JMB Foundation
