April 2026 - Improving life support processes draft determination

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has made a draft rule which seeks to enhance the registration, deregistration, and communication processes for customers who rely on life support equipment at home, ensuring protections are applied consistently and fairly across the National Energy Retail Rules (NERR) framework.

We collaborated on a joint response with EWON and EWOSA in support of the draft rule. We emphasised the importance of maintaining existing protections, including not requiring current life support customers to re-register, preserving the current equipment list, and allowing medical discretion. We also supported measures to improve data accuracy, such as annual checks and reminders, while cautioning against administrative burdens on vulnerable customers.