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Focus on energy consumers
Much of the work of Etrog Consulting is focused on viewing the energy industry from a consumer perspective.
David is a member of the Australian Energy Regulator’s Consumer Challenge Panel (CCP), where his role is to help ensure that decisions on electricity and gas network regulatory access arrangements and costs across Australia incorporate the interests of consumers. In this role, David challenges the Australian network businesses regarding their consumer engagement activities, and ensures that their regulatory proposals are in consumers’ interests. He also challenges the regulator on how its regulatory decision-making processes take into account consumers’ interests and produce positive outcomes for energy consumers.
Our recent work in relation to energy consumers has included:
David is a member of the Australian Energy Regulator’s Consumer Challenge Panel (CCP), where his role is to help ensure that decisions on electricity and gas network regulatory access arrangements and costs across Australia incorporate the interests of consumers. In this role, David challenges the Australian network businesses regarding their consumer engagement activities, and ensures that their regulatory proposals are in consumers’ interests. He also challenges the regulator on how its regulatory decision-making processes take into account consumers’ interests and produce positive outcomes for energy consumers.
Our recent work in relation to energy consumers has included:
- Submissions to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) Issues Paper and Options Paper on Electricity Customer Switching, in connection with the AEMC's advice to the Standing Council on Energy and Resources (SCER).
- A research report on Electricity Supply Disconnection on Change of Tenancy, which was funded by the Australian Consumer Advocacy Panel.
- Submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) on the Power of Choice, in connection with the AEMC’s Power of Choice – Stage 3 Demand Side Participation Review.
- A major research study on Rural and Regional Energy Issues – A Qualitative Survey of Rural and Regional Councils in New South Wales and Queensland, which we undertook in conjunction with Engineroom Infrastructure Consulting, and a second report that focuses on Opportunities for Advocacy on Rural and Regional Energy Issues in New South Wales and Queensland.
- Advising the Consumer Action Law Centre and Consumer Utilities Advocacy Centre on a masterclass for consumer representatives on electricity distribution network pricing.
- Submission to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) on National Hardship Indicators in regard to Australian energy retailers’ hardship programs.
- Advice to an industry peak body on electricity retail price impacts for small business customers.
- Advising consumer organisations on the protection of customer service quality, reliability standards and liability in the development of the National Energy Customer Framework (NECF) for electricity and gas consumers across Australia. Our advice related to the distribution aspects of the NECF, and was referenced and relied on by ten consumer advocacy organisations in their submissions to the Ministerial Council on Energy (MCE) consultation on the Second Exposure Draft of the NECF.
- Facilitating a Stakeholder Consultation Forum on behalf of the Consumer Advocacy Panel to identify current and emerging consumer energy issues over the next five years (2009-14). Our report to the Panel on the outcomes of the forum assisted the Panel to determine its future funding priorities. Our report also formed the basis for setting the Panel’s Research Agenda for 2010-11, and was referenced throughout Making Energy Markets Work for Consumers – The Role of Consumer Advocacy, Gordon Renouf and Polly Porteous, November 2010.
