Audit Guideline for Energy Businesses

We are responsible for monitoring and reporting on energy licensees’ compliance with their regulatory obligations. Our audit program helps us to meet this objective as it provides:

• independent assurance that energy licensees understand and comply with their licence obligations
• an assessment of the accuracy of the self-identified reported breaches made by licensees, and the effectiveness of the systems, processes and controls to produce these reports.

This guideline considers different types of audit, based on risk, and focuses on key compliance areas where we may have concerns with a licensee’s behaviour, or an industry wide issue. Following a public consultation process from 1 December 2017 to 1 February 2018, the guideline was revised in April 2018 to realign with current processes and to reinforce our expectations for auditing. 

This guideline replaces Guideline 22: Regulatory Audits of Energy Businesses.

Licensees may also be directed to undertake a compliance review, which is distinct from an audit. This guideline is not relevant to compliance reviews.