Energy Industry

Back-billing

When can a retailer issue a back-bill? There are a few different scenarios where you may receive a back-bill: - You moved into a new property but did not set up a new supply agreement at that time, so you consumed energy without a contract in place - Your current retailer has had issues with their billing system - Your previous bill(s) were based on estimated usage, which proved to be less than what you actually used - there was an error in a previous bill, or it was based on an incorrect meter reading What if I don't have a supply agreement? If you've moved to a new property, and did not set up a new energy supply account with a new retailer, then any energy consumed without an agreement in place will fall under a 'Deemed Contract' with the retailer previously serving that property. Deemed contract arrangements are governed under Division 8 of the National Energy Retail Rules. When the financially responsible retailer becomes aware of energy being consumed under a deemed contract, it must provide information about: - The retailer's contact information; - Details of the prices, terms and conditions applicable to the sale of energy to the premises concerned under the deemed customer retail arrangement; - The customer's options for establishing a customer retail contract (including the availability of a standing offer); - The consequences for the customer if the customer does not enter into a customer retail contract (whether with that or another retailer), including the entitlement of the retailer to arrange for the de-energisation of the premises and details of the process for de-energisation. This means that the retailer can still bill you for your usage, under the Deemed Contract terms, even though you did not specifically enter an agreement with them at all. If you do not set up a supply agreement with a retailer, and if the current retailer remains the 'financially responsible' retailer, they ultimately are able to disconnect the energy supply to the premises. Deemed Contracts will be priced at the prevailing Default Offer rates for your location - this will mean that if and when the back bill arrives, it will be priced at higher rates than what you could have accessed under a market contract. What are the limits on back-billing? Retailers can issue back-bills, to a maximum of 4 months in Victoria, or 9 months in NSW. These limits apply if the need for back-billing is the fault of the retailer. If it's your own fault—for example, if you've refused access to your property for meter reading—then these time constraints may not apply. If they issue a back-bill, they must offer a payment period equivalent to the duration of the back-bill period, and they can not charge interest on the back-billed amount. Where can I go for more information and help? Your state-based Ombudsman can provide additional information and assistance if you receive a back-bill from a retailer. State| Ombudsman| Link ---|---|--- NSW| EWON - Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW| https://www.ewon.com.au/page/customer-resources/high-and-disputed-bills/backbills-and-delayed-bills VIC| EWOV - Energy & Water Ombudsman Victoria| https://www.ewov.com.au/common-complaints/delayed-and-catch-up-bills QLD| EWOQ - Energy & Water Ombudsman Queensland| https://www.ewoq.com.au/news-and-publications/articles/high-energy-or-water-bill SA| EWOSA - Energy & Water Ombudsman South Australia| https://ewosa.com.au/consumer-resources/trouble-with-energy-or-water-bills/electricity TAS| EOT - Energy Ombudsman Tasmania| https://www.energyombudsman.tas.gov.au/common-issues/high-bills

July price changes

The annual July price change is driven by annual changes in the wholesale network charges levied by electricity distributors, which retailers pass on to end consumers in their bills. Electricity distributors operate under a regulated monopoly—there is only ever one distributor for any property—and the regulations require that any new network charges take effect on 1 July every year. Retailers generally change their retail prices at the same time or shortly after to accommodate these changes to their wholesale cost base. Since 2021, the July distributor price change has also affected Victorian prices. Victoria previously had its distribution network price changes, which resulted in retail price changes, in January each year. All states in the NEM are now aligned with a July price change that will affect all retailers' plans. The changes can be simple pricing updates to existing plans, but its not uncommon for retailers to take the July price change event as an opportunity to release new plans or to overhaul their suite of plans and prices completely. It usually takes at least a week for all retailers to release their new plans and prices, and when they do, there's often a knock-on effect as some of them re-adjust their pricing in response to their competitors. So retail energy pricing is often in flux for at least the first week in July. Making a switch decision when the prices are changing The annual price change brings some additional considerations for energy consumers both in the lead up to the price change, and immediately after the price change. Pre-price-change decision making Bill Hero updates the database of plans and prices every day, based on the data available from the official source which is the Consumer Data Right - a government initiative which includes requirement for energy retailers to publish details of all their 'generally available' energy plans into a central repository. The range of plans and prices available change every day, and Bill HEro updates the plans in our system from this repository every day. Retailers generally do not reveal their prices in advance, so in the lead-up to the July price change, its impossible to know what the price change will be, which makes it harder to make a decision to switch or not. If you decide to make a switch early, its possible that the plan you switch to might change, and it may be necessary to switch again one the new pricing becomes visible. If you decide to hold off on making a decision until the new pricing becomes visible, you may just be be elongating the time that you continue overpaying under your existing plan, when there's savings available to you elsewhere. Our general thinking on this dilemma is that the only party that benefits in delaying a decision when there is a clear saving advantage to be accesses, is your current retailer which gets to overcharge you for longer. Bill HEro makes it easy to identify and act on a switch, and the worst case might be that you decide to switch again in relatively quick succession. Post-price-change decision making Immediately after the price change has impacted the market, a different problem can emerge as Bill Hero will compare a bill issued before the price change, against current daily updated prices in the market post price change. If the price change has been an increase, this will make the legacy bill artificially appear to be more cost effective than it really is. Bill Hero can handle this situation by recalculating the legacy bill by applying new rates from the price change notice all retailers are obliged to provide before applying the change.

Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF)

Key Information for Households What is the Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF)? - The Energy Bill Relief Fund was announced in December 2022 as part of the Commonwealth Government’s broader Energy Price Relief Plan. - Under the initial EBRF, up to $3 billion of electricity bill relief was available to eligible households and small businesses, delivered in partnership with state and territory governments in the 2023-24 financial year. - The EBRF has been extended to deliver an additional $3.5 billion of energy bill relief in 2024-25. As part of the extension, households will receive up to $300 of energy bill rebates in 2024-25 to ease cost of living pressures. - For households with an active electricity account, payments will appear on electricity bills as quarterly credits of $75 in all jurisdictions except WA where households will receive two payments of $150. - For households in embedded networks in jurisdictions where they are eligible, payments may be made as a one-off $300 rebate subject to jurisdictional requirements. Contact your relevant jurisdiction for more information. Where can household electricity customers find more information on the EBRF? - Households can find additional information at: https://www.energy.gov.au/energy-billrelief-fund - Final implementation details are being developed with state and territory governments. As they become available, households can find further information at the below websites: - ACT: https://www.revenue.act.gov.au/community-assistance/energy-bill-relief-fund - NSW: https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/rebates-grants-andschemes/national-energy-bill-relief#national-energy-bill-relief-for-households Q&As: 2024-25 Energy Bill Relief for Households Last updated: 4 July 2024 - NT: https://nt.gov.au/community/grants-and-volunteers/grants/energy-bill-reliefhouseholds - QLD: https://www.qld.gov.au/community/cost-of-livingsupport/concessions/energy-concessions/cost-of-living-rebate - SA: https://www.sa.gov.au/energybillrelief - TAS: https://recfit.tas.gov.au/grants_program/energy_bill_relief - VIC: https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/households/help-paying-your-energybills/energy-bill-relief-fund - WA: https://www.wa.gov.au/government/announcements/400-household-andsmall-business-electricity-credit Do households need to apply for bill relief? - Most households do not need to apply for bill relief and will see the rebate automatically applied on their electricity bill. - Customers in embedded networks may need to apply for bill relief and should refer to their state and territory processes for further information. Are concession card holders eligible to receive bill relief? - The EBRF in 2024-25 will provide up to a $300 rebate for all households, including concession card holders. When will households receive bill relief? - From July 2024, households will see a $75 rebate on their next electricity bill. - Households in WA will see half-yearly credits of $150 applied to electricity bills in 2024-25 to align with the WA Household Electricity Credit scheme. - Timing of the first rebate may vary across jurisdictions and retailers. Households with bills issued in July may not see their first bill relief payment until the following electricity bill. - Most households in embedded networks will receive their rebate through a different process. See Key Information for Households in Embedded Networks section. What happens if a household changes retailer or moves houses? - Retailers are responsible for providing rebates to their customers with an active electricity account on the following census dates, for all jurisdictions except WA: - Quarter 1: 31 July 2024 (1 July 2024 for QLD) - Quarter 2: 1 October 2024 - Quarter 3: 1 January 2025 - Quarter 4: 1 April 2025 - In WA, rebates under the EBRF will be aligned with half-yearly payments under the WA Household Electricity Credit scheme with the following census dates: - Census Date 1: 17 June 2024 - Census Date 2: 18 November 2024 - Changing retailer or moving houses will not affect a household’s rebate if they still have an active electricity account at each census date. For example, if a household changes retailer after the first $75 rebate, they will receive the remaining three $75 payments on subsequent bills under the next retailer. - Depending on census dates and when households change retailers or move, households may receive one electricity bill from their new retailer that does not have a rebate for that quarter but should have received that quarter’s rebate from their previous retailer. These households are still eligible for the total $300 payment and will see a $75 rebate for the next quarter on their electricity bill. - Where customers change retailers with a positive balance, retailers and jurisdictions’ relevant standard business rules apply. - Households in WA that move from a retailer to an embedded network after the first census date may not be eligible for further rebates. See Key Information for Households in Embedded Networks section. Why is the rebate only being paid to accounts that are active on the census dates? - Delivering EBRF requires a consistent approach for all Australian households across jurisdictions, where possible. Establishing consistent census dates will enable retailers to identify eligible and active accounts to apply rebates for that point in time. - The 2023-24 targeted EBRF provided payments for eligible households from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, in most jurisdictions. Applying rebates under the extended and expanded EBRF from July 2024 means all households receive payments as soon as possible to ease cost-of-living pressures. Are customers who receive their electricity bill from an embedded network provider (e.g. a body corporate or a site manager) eligible to receive bill relief? - Yes. A customer who resides in an embedded network and receives their electricity bill from their landlord, property manager, park owner or body corporate based on their metered consumption, is eligible for the $300 energy bill relief payment. See further information under Key Information for Households in Embedded Networks section. Is the rebate inclusive of GST? - No. The rebate credits are not taxable or relevant for GST purposes. Bill relief will be inclusive of GST (that is, applied post-GST to bills) for both households and small businesses. Are customers in credit eligible to receive bill relief? - Yes. Energy bill relief will still be applied to the customer’s electricity account and any credit should be carried over to future bills. What happens to bill relief for customers with ongoing credit balances? - Energy bill relief will remain as a credit on the customer’s bill with no expiry date. - With the customer’s approval, credit may be allocated by the retailer to another bill under the customer’s account or be managed in line with existing retailer policies for accounts with a positive balance. Are households that don’t get a separate electricity bill (e.g. off-grid homes or customers that have electricity included in their rental agreement) eligible to receive bill relief? - No. To receive energy bill relief, a customer must be separately metered and charged for their electricity supply/consumption. Are deemed (occupier) accounts eligible to receive bill relief? - Yes. If a customer moves into a new property and starts using electricity without entering into an electricity contract with the retailer, the rebate should be applied to the deemed account if the retailer is applying a residential tariff. Are households with more than one property under one account eligible to receive multiple bill relief rebates? - Rebates should be applied on an account basis (i.e. one rebate per customer account) so households only receive one rebate, where possible. This includes accounts with multiple properties that share a connection and accounts with multiple properties that are separately metered. - If a customer receives multiple bills, retailers should only apply one rebate per customer account, where possible. It is at the retailer’s discretion which bill receives the rebate. Are households eligible for bill relief if they receive another energy payment funded by their state and territory government? - Yes. Energy bill relief is a Commonwealth funded payment and does not prevent eligible households from receiving other payments delivered by their state or territory government. What happens if a customer closes their account after the rebate has been applied to the bill? - Normal retailer business processes would apply and any credit against a customer’s account should be settled as per the terms and conditions of the customer’s contract. - In WA, the rebate is applied through an offset and no refund is available. Key Information for Households in Embedded Networks Are households in embedded networks (e.g. apartment buildings, caravan parks, and other premises where they receive their electricity bill from an embedded network operator) eligible to receive energy bill relief? - Yes. Households in embedded networks will be eligible for the $300 energy bill relief. Households should refer to their relevant jurisdiction’s application process. Why are households in embedded networks receiving one-off payments, rather than quarterly? - To reduce administrative burden and due to the complexity of embedded networks and system limitations, households in embedded networks will receive one payment of $300. How will households in embedded networks access the bill relief? - To apply for rebates, embedded network customers should refer to the process in their respective state or territory. - All required forms should be available from each jurisdictions’ relevant government website. - Applications for households in WA close on 30 November 2024. - Any eligible household in Queensland who has not received their payment by 31 December 2024 should contact their embedded network operator. If customers are not happy with the response, they should speak to the relevant regulator or ombudsman in their jurisdiction. ​

All about Greenpower

GreenPower is a government-accredited scheme that allows energy consumers to “recognise and purchase renewable electricity that meets stringent environmental standards.” Many Green consumers are supporting renewable generation through choosing GreenPower and voluntarily paying more for their power. Not all retailers offer GreenPower. Those that do are listed in the GreenPower website here: https://www.greenpower.gov.au/get-greenpower/find-provider. For the first time in Australia, Bill Hero now includes GreenPower pricing as part of our personalised energy comparison, so you can now support renewable generation through GreenPower, and do it in the most cost-effective way possible. If you're unsure about how much a step up to GreenPower might cost you, or if you're considering if you would apply the GreenPower price uplift to some or all of your kWh consumption, you can use Bill Hero to see exactly how much it will cost you to step up to the various levels of GreenPower energy plans available from all the retailers. This is important because there is significant variation in the price uplift charged by the retailers in their GreenPower plans – the most expensive GreenPower plan in the market is 400% more expensive than the cheapest one. Also, as we'll show in this article, and contrary to common assumption, the money you voluntarily spend on GreenPower does not directly translate to money invested in renewable energy. The GreenPower scheme brings a massive arbitrage and financial gaming opportunity for retailers, which means they have plenty of room to maximise their benefit from your voluntary GreenPower contributions. In this article, we'll explain how GreenPower actually works, how the retailers can game it, and what you can do to support renewable generation most cost-effectively. How GreenPower actually works When you buy GreenPower, your retailer must purchase and surrender GreenPower certificates, known as 'Large Scale Generation Certificates', or LGCs, which are created by accredited renewable energy generators. Each certificate represents 1 MWh of electricity, and retailers are obliged to purchase and surrender LGCs equivalent to the aggregate GreenPower consumption of their customers each year. The GreenPower certificate scheme creates a revenue source to support the development and operation of renewable energy generators. Only generators built after 1997 are accredited under this scheme. Older renewable generation assets including hydro do not qualify as GreenPower generators. Because renewable energy generators create the LGCs, revenue will flow to them through this scheme, so your purchase of GreenPower helps support the development and operation of renewable energy generation assets. How retailers game GreenPower Many GreenPower energy consumers naively assume that the price uplift they pay will directly contribute to new renewable generation. This is not the case. Retailers are obliged to buy and surrender LGCs to the equivalent level of electricity consumption, not to the equivalent level of money spent. LGCs are traded in the same way as other commodities or financial instruments, so there is a spot price and a futures market for LGCs. Retailers participate in this market, and use hedging and trading strategies to maximise the benefit from their participation. Buy low, sell high The first and most obvious LGC strategy retailers employ is to buy low and sell high. Retailers are free to set their own rates for the GreenPower uplift they charge to their customers, so there's a direct arbitrage opportunity between the price they charge you for GreenPower and the price they must pay for the equivalent LGCs. We've done the research and have found that there is significant price variation among retailers for their GreenPower offers – at the time of this writing, the most expensive GreenPower per-kWh price on offer is over 400% more expensive than the cheapest. LGC shortfall strategy A less obvious strategy is the timing of the certificate surrender. The rules for the GreenPower scheme include penalties for failing to surrender the required number of certificates on time, but the rules also allow for those fines to be refunded in future at the time of eventual surrender. The LGC market operates like any other, with prices going up when demand outstrips supply, and going down when supply outstrips demand. So if your retailer believes the price for LGCs will decline, they might postpone their obligation to surrender LGCs that you've already paid them for, in the expectation that they can fulfil the obligation in future at a lower price. This reduces current demand for LGCs, thereby driving down the market price for LGCs which reduces all the GreenPower revenue that flows to accredited renewable generators, not just from your retailer. The LGC shortfall strategy, which some retailers have adopted very aggressively, arguably supports market outcomes that oppose the intent of GreenPower consumers, whose money helps fuel the entire process. The Clean Energy Regulator maintains a Shortfall Register, which presents a useful signal about how diligently a retailer meets its LGC obligations. Is GreenPower the only renewable energy game in town? GreenPower is the brand name for the main renewable energy scheme in Australia, but it does not cover every renewable energy generator - the GreenPower scheme has eligibility requirements, and some renewable energy generators do not qualify for accreditation under the GreenPower scheme. A GreenPower Generator is defined as "an electricity generator that results in greenhouse gas emission reductions (within the electricity sector)". Renewable energy must come from wind, solar, hydro and bioenergy generators that meet the standards specified in the GreenPower Program Rules. Some types of energy generation not allowed in the GreenPower accredited scheme include: - Pre-existing renewable energy generation before 1997 - Hydro power where significant river diversions have taken place as part of the hydro station being built - Biomass using native rainforests - Coal seam gas - All types of non-renewable generation including coal fired, natural gas, oil, and nuclear. The main non-GreenPower renewable generators are the hydro projects such as Tasmania Hydro and Snowy Hydro, and other legacy renewable generation assets that were commissioned before 1997. This is why Tasmania Hydro, does not qualify as a GreenPower generator, and the energy that is sold through Momentum Energy, which Tasmania Hydro owns, does not automatically qualify as accredited GreenPower, even though Momentum has made private commitments to deliver renewable energy into the grid to at least the level that their customers consume - a commitment that is very similar to the accredited GreenPower requirement. At this time of writing, Momentum does offer its customers an accredited GreenPower option, which means that it needs to buy and surrender LGCs equivalent to the GreenPower consumption of its customers, the same as any other retailer. How to support renewable generation the smart way Both the 'buy low, sell high' strategy and the 'LGC shortfall' strategy play to the advantage of the retailer, at your expense. Many retailers seem to think that, by definition, GreenPower consumers are non-price-sensitive, since they are willing to pay more for their power voluntarily. Some retailers take this as an invitation to ramp up the prices they charge for the GreenPower they sell. This is pure arbitrage; any overspending only benefits the retailer. Given the indirect nature of the money transfer and the propensity for retailers to overcharge and game the GreenPower system, it makes sense for you to find the most cost-effective GreenPower option. Bill Hero's GreenPower pricing and filters allow you to support renewable generation the smart way, maximising the impact you can make while minimising both the cost to you and the opportunity for your retailer to game and skim this market.

NMI, DPI and MIRN - energy meter IDs

Energy retailers rely on a centralised database that identifies energy meters by meter ID, serial number, and street address/location. Electricity meters are identified by their NMI, or National Metering Identifier. Gas meters can have one of two separate meter ID types, depending on your location. In Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, your gas meter will have a MIRN, which means Meter Installation Reference Number or Meter Installation Registration Number. In NSW, gas meters are identified by DPI or Delivery Point Identifier. These two concepts do the same thing - providing the identifying ID for your gas meter. Either a DPI or MIRN number will be displayed in your gas bills, and will also be visible on the meter itself.

Price fix

Some retailers offer plans with prices fixed for a duration period, most commonly 12 months. After the fixed price duration period expires, the price for the plan may change. Price fix is different to the more common 'Fixed benefit period' which applies to benefits like discounts that are often included in a market offer. Under a Price fix or Fixed Price offer, the rates will not change within the period. Under a Fixed benefit period offer, the rates may change, but the discount or other benefit offered with that plan will not change

The retailer wont serve my address

Since July 2022, as a result of a widespread upheaval in wholesale energy pricing, some retailers have become more selective about taking on new customers. This might mean that they refuse to serve new customers, even when they do still publish plans for the zones that those customers fall into. Our advice for this situation has not changed – if the retailer will not serve you, then you should look to the next-ranked plan in your Bill Hero results. Retail energy plans are priced and are published by distribution zone - each zone is run by a single regulated monopoly energy distributor which looks after the poles and wire and physical infrastructure that delivers energy to your home. Distributors set pricing for network access, which gets rolled up into the pricing for retail plans in that zone. All this is a long way of saying that retail plans and prices are published per zone, to accommodate the differing network charges that apply in different zones. However, individual retailers are free to set their own internal rules on postcodes and locations they choose not to serve, even when that location falls into a zone that they more generally do serve, and have published prices for. They are not obliged to publish any information on the individual locations they choose not to offer their products for, so Bill Hero cannot reliably exclude these plans. Bill Hero relies on the per-zone plans that retailers publish, so it's possible that Bill Hero may display a plan in a result set, because it's generally available across your distribution zone, but the retailer might refuse to offer that plan for your specific location. If this situation occurs for you, please move to the next-ranked plan in your ranked results.

When can retailers increase their prices?

Retail energy price controls are managed by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) in Victoria, and by AEMO in other parts of the National Energy Market (NEM), including QLD, NSW, ACT, SA and TAS. For Victorians, there are strong controls on how often price increases can be charged to existing customers. The rest of the NEM does not have the same level of controls in place. NEM price change rules (excluding Victoria) The National Energy Retail Rules govern the sale and supply of energy (electricity and natural gas) from retailers and distributors to customers in the National Energy Market (NEM) including New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. Energy pricing and price change falls under these rules. Price changes in retail energy contracts are driven by a range of factors including variations in wholesale energy costs, network costs, environmental policy costs and retailer costs. Retailers roll up all these costs into the bills they present to energy consumers, so retail pricing must accommodate all these underlying charge components, and typically will be subject to change whenever these underlying components change. Network costs change on a regulated schedule, once a year, with new network pricing coming into effect on 1 July each year. This drives an annual retail price change for every plan and every retailer from 1 July each year. Many retailers also use this annual price change event to modify or completely overhaul their plans. Wholesale costs, environmental policy costs or retail costs can change at any time of the year, and retail market offer contract prices can change in response to these costs at any time, so long as the terms of the market contract allow for this, and provided the consumer is validly notified. Standing offer contract prices cannot be changed more often than once every six months. Retailers must clearly communicate to customers when their prices may change, including a minimum 5-day notice of any price change. Victorian price change rules On 1 July 2020, the ESC introduced rules to protect energy consumers in Victoria from unexpected energy price increases, meaning energy retailers can only increase prices once a year. Retailers can decrease pricing at any time. Annual network price changes come into effect on 1 July each year, which is also the date when retailers publish new pricing to be offered to new customers. The standard annual price change date for existing variable rate electricity customers in Victoria is one month after network tariff prices change, on 1 August each year. Fixed-rate customers will experience their price change on the anniversary date of their fixed-price period. Retailers must clearly communicate to customers when their prices may change, including a minimum 5-day notice of any price change. Exemptions to price certainty rules There is some scope for exemption from the price certainty rules, intended to support retailers in offering innovative products that are incompatible with limiting price increases to once a year. Retailers can gain exemption from these rules and increase prices more than once a year only if: - if the retailer’s product qualifies for a standing exemption, which are specified in the Energy Retail Code, or - if an exemption has been granted by the ESC following an application from a retailer. An application for an exemption must clearly demonstrate to us that the product is innovative and that: - it better meets specific customer needs - it enhances the efficiency of the energy system, or - is part of a Victorian Government program or policy. Standing exemptions Standing exemptions allow retailers to offer energy products that do not comply with the price certainty rules in the following circumstances: - where a tariff that continually varies in relation to the spot price of energy – for example, wholesale pass-through pricing, or - where a customer pre-purchases a specified quantity of energy – for example, buying 1,000kWh of electricity for $200. Retailers do not need to apply if their product meets one of the above criteria for a standing exemption. Additional requirements Retailers offering contracts under any of the exemption categories specified above must comply with additional requirements in the Energy Retail Code, including making customers aware when signing up that: - the product that the tariff(s) may increase more than once a year - the basis on which the tariff(s) may change - the estimated frequency of changes - other contracts are available where prices will only increase once a year. Price increases outside a licensed retailer’s control Retailers are also permitted to pass on price increases outside the usual 12 month cycle if: - an uncertain or unforeseen event occurred that was sufficiently significant that it caused the commission to vary a Victorian Default Offer price determination - the price change is due to a network tariff reassignment to a customer at any time

Retailer of Last Resort

In Australia, energy retailers do not actually supply your energy, they only supply your bills. So even if your retailer disappears overnight, your energy supply will not be affected. However the billing for your energy supply will be interrupted, and the energy regulations accommodate this scenario with the Retailer of Last Resort (RoLR) regulation. RoLR is governed by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and the Essential Services Commission (ESC) in Victoria. These entities can revoke a retailer’s license and transfer their customers to a new retailer if necessary. Both AER and ESC maintain a register and rules governing which retailer a customer will be transferred to under a RoLR event. If your energy retailer goes out of business, the process to transfer you to your retailer of last resort will start automatically. Tip Even if you’re notified that your retailer has been deregistered and your account will be subject to a RoLR process, you can still switch to an alternative retailer of your choice at any time. You’re not obliged to wait until the RoLR transition is completed. No matter if you actively initiate a switch to a new retailer, or do nothing and allow the RoLR process to proceed, your energy supply will not be disrupted, and you do not need to do anything immediately. Important If you, or someone at your premises, require life support equipment, you should contact your new retailer immediately. Your retailer of last resort will contact you in writing with details. They will explain: - the start date of the new arrangements - the terms and conditions of the new contract, including prices. Generally, the RoLR retailer will put you on their default offer plan, which typically will be priced higher than the market offers available to you. So it makes sense to immediately switch to the best available plan rather than wait for the RoLR process to complete. You can find the best-priced plan available to you from the Bill Hero results for your most recent bill. If your previous plan from your now out-of-business retailer was the best price available, then this plan may be displayed in your Bill Hero results as being ‘more expensive’.