The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has released a new Better Bills Guideline that will require energy consumers to make their bills more consumer-friendly, ensuring that consumers can more easily understand the information and make smarter decisions.
The new mandatory Better Bills Guideline will come into effect on 30 September and is designed to help households and small businesses understand their energy usage and costs, and for people to find the best energy deal with their retailer.
Retailers must now include a ‘better offer’ statement on the front page of their bill. This statement must tell the customer if the retailer can offer a better deal, which could include the retailer’s standing offer, and details of how to switch plans.
AER Chair, Clare Savage, said it’s critical that consumers can navigate their bill and proactively engage in the energy market.
“Now, more than ever, consumers must have the information they need, presented in a way they can easily understand, to ensure they can make informed decisions about their energy plan,” Ms Savage said.
“These new billing obligations provide clarity and transparency for consumers.
“Even if they are on their current retailer’s best deal, we strongly encourage all consumers to visit the Energy Made Easy website – energymadeeasy.gov.au – to compare plans and find out if they could be on a better deal with another retailer. Under the Better Bills Guideline, every bill must now include a link to this independent website.”
In addition to the ‘better offer’ message, retailers must now use plain language in their bills and include only the most important information on the first page to support consumer understanding.
The Better Bills Guideline is part of the AER’s Towards Energy Equity strategy which is focused on protecting vulnerable consumers while enabling all consumers to participate in the energy market.
An illustrative example of a bill prepared in accordance with the Better Bills Guideline can be accessed on the AER website here. Read the full guideline here.
