As a provider of AES, there are certain obligations you will need to meet. These are outlined in the legislation relevant to the AES framework. The legislation includes:
- Electricity Industry Act 2004.
- Electricity Industry (Alternative Electricity Services) Regulations 2025.
- Alternative Electricity Services Code of Practice 2025 (AES Code).
The obligations include providing customer protections, joining the Energy Ombudsman scheme, reporting annual performance and compliance information, and paying annual fees to the ERA. In addition, there is specified information that you must provide to the ERA when you register and keep up to date. You will also need to join the Energy and Water Ombudsman scheme, unless you are only supply large customers (those taking more than 160 megawatt hours (MWh) per year).
The customer protections are outlined in the AES Code, and include obligations on:
- Minimum information that must be provided to customers.
- The types of meters that must be used for measuring and billing purposes.
- Frequency of billing.
- Tariffs and prices.
- Providing support to customers affected by family violence and/or financial hardship.
- Provide support to customers reliant on life support equipment.
It is important that you understand your obligations and ensure you are compliant with the legislation.