Submission in Response to Cowell Electric Licence Variation: Proposed Prepayment by Default Consumer Protections

Abstract

This submission was made to the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) consultation on off-grid electricity retailer Cowell Electric’s Licence Variation in June 2022. The purpose of the consultation was to develop minimum consumer protections for customers in remote Aboriginal communities required to prepay for household electricity. A bespoke consumer protection framework was needed because the existing frameworks e.g. the Prepayment Meter System Code (PMSC) contemplated voluntary use of prepayment whereas remote Aboriginal households were newly required to use prepayment on a mandatory basis. The submission highlights policy concerns in relation to the introduction of mandated prepayment while advocating for stronger consumer protections for affected households, as well as public reporting of energy data. Show more