We are reviewing electricity and gas retail licences following recent legislative reforms and to promote consistency
Energy retail licence review
- First consultation31 January - 15 March 2022
- Second consultation27 April - 25 May 2022
- Final decision12 July 2022
Overview
Context for this review
In 2021 we foreshadowed with stakeholders that a process would be undertaken to review and update all Victorian energy retail licences. We are now getting that process underway.
We have written to each retailer with a proposal to vary their licences. The changes we are proposing to the licences are predominantly administrative in nature and proposed for one of three reasons:
- to reflect recent changes to the regulation of energy in Victoria, including the passing of the Essential Services Commission (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill 2021, which requires consequential changes to Victorian energy retail licences
- to improve consistency by removing variation that has arisen in licence conditions by reason of there being amendment to standard licence conditions over time that have not been applied to existing licensees, and
- to remove licence conditions that are no longer required or to promote consistency, where appropriate.
Feedback on the consultation
On 31 January 2022 we wrote to all energy retail licensees with a proposal to vary retail licences. We requested a response to that proposal by 15 March 2022.
On 27 April 2022, we wrote to retailers with a further variation proposal responding to the feedback that was received, and welcomed feedback from other retailers in relation to the proposal. We requested a response to that proposal by 25 May 2022.
Final decision
On 12 July 2022, we published the commission's final decision on the retail licence review. Variations to retail licences will take effect from 12 September 2022.
Any queries should be directed to licences@esc.vic.gov.au (with 'Retail licence review' in the subject line).
Resources
Final decision
Having considered the two rounds of stakeholder feedback, the commission has now published its final decision on the retail licence review.
Consultation documents (second consultation)
We invited feedback on a further variation proposal between 27 April 2022 and 25 May 2022.
Submissions (second consultation)
Consultation documents (first consultation)
Between 31 January 2022 and 15 March 2022, we invited feedback on proposed variations to energy retail licences.