COTA Australia and the COTA Energy Advocates responded to the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) consultation seeking feedback on proposed amendments to the National Energy Retail Rules concerning life support protections.
Our submission calls for stronger protections. We believe operational convenience must not come at the expense of customer safety and wellbeing. Reforms must be grounded in the lived experiences of life support customers and guarantee protections which are practical, consistent and universally accessible – regardless of energy supply arrangements.
While we support industry efforts to clarify roles and responsibilities across the energy sector, especially for energy retailers and distributors, we are concerned that many of the consultation’s proposed solutions may risk weakening essential safeguards for energy customers dependent on medical equipment reliant on a continuous supply of energy.