COTA Australia and its Energy Advocates welcome the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) review of the regulatory framework for embedded networks, as presented in the draft decision released March 17, 2025. Our submission acknowledges the Review is an important first step in what needs to be a multi-stage process.
We advocate for holistic change to ensure equal protections for embedded network customers. We believe these measures are crucial for creating a fair and equitable energy market for all Australians.
We urge the AER to lead in coordinating efforts across industry bodies and jurisdictional governments to develop a new, fit-for-purpose framework. This framework must guarantee embedded network customers the same safeguards and concessions as other energy customers, including family violence safeguards.
Given the increasing numbers of older customers within embedded networks, our submission emphasises the need for the AER’s proposed family violence policy template and associated guidance to address elder abuse, particularly financial elder abuse.