Compliance & Enforcement

The AER's Compliance and Enforcement Priorities help guide our enforcement work and proactive compliance efforts, and also signal areas where we consider that behavioural change in the market is required.

The priorities align with the objectives in the AER Strategic Plan 2020–25, specifically objectives 1-3, to:

1. Protect vulnerable consumers, while enabling consumers to participate in energy markets.
2. Effectively regulate competitive markets primarily through monitoring and reporting, and enforcement and compliance.
3. Deliver efficient regulation of monopoly infrastructure while incentivising networks to become platforms for energy services.

Priorities

The priorities for 2022–23 are a continuation of last year’s priorities, including some updates to areas of focus. The priorities should be read in conjunction with the AER Compliance and Enforcement Policy.

The policy sets out how we approach our compliance and enforcement roles and functions in accordance with the national energy laws. In addition to our work in priority areas, we will continue to act where there are serious issues impacting vulnerable consumers, including life support consumers, to help shape new or emerging markets and to implement new guidance such as the Better Bills Guideline. We will continue to assess matters having regard to the compliance and enforcement factors in the policy and take action where justified. We will also progress important ongoing work in areas previously identified as priority areas.

	Effective identification of residential consumers in financial difficulty and offer of payment plans that have regard to the consumer’s capacity to pay.
	Improve outcomes for consumers in embedded networks, including by enabling access to Ombudsman schemes.
	Focusing on registered generators’ compliance with offers, dispatch instructions, obligations relating to bidding behaviour and providing accurate and timely capability information to AEMO.
	Ensure service providers meet information disclosure obligations under Part 23 of the National Gas Rules.
	Ensure timely and accurate gas auction reporting and demand forecasting in downstream wholesale gas markets by registered participants.