Submission: Consultation on a new minimum disconnection amount for the National Energy Customer Framework

ACTCOSS’s submission to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) welcomes the AER’s efforts to improve protections for consumers experiencing payment difficulties.

ACTCOSS supports energy access as a basic human right and our submission highlights our opposition to disconnection as a response to financial hardship.

Our key recommendations include:

• the minimum disconnection amount should be significantly higher than $500
• more comprehensive and tailored protections must be developed to ensure equitable access to essential energy services over the long term; and
• the need to review policies and adjust the disconnection threshold to account for rising electricity bills due to electrification (the shift away from gas).