Recent amendments to the National Energy Retail Law require us to update the Retailer of Last Resort guidelines and plan.
On 17 March 2026, we published a draft decision that proposes our approach to incorporating the relevant legislative amendments into the guideline and our principles-based updates, including:
- changing to a single reference document
- updated cost recovery arrangements
- circumstances on when we would consider extending the timeframe to designate a RoLR
- details on how RoLRs could take up the option of providing a market retail contract offer.
Consultation on the draft decision for the new amount closed on Friday, 17 April 2026.
We also proposed amendments to the RoLR plan, including:
- updating to reflect the amendment to the time to respond to an AER direction for gas access and pipeline capacity from immediate to within 24 hours
- removed prescriptive exercise requirements in RoLR plan to give greater flexibility to how and when exercises are conducted.
- added stronger customer data requirements
- accounted for RoLR responsibilities in Victoria
- incorporated family violence obligations
- added a requirement to inform of any gas or capacity issues.
Our finalised RoLR guidelines and plan will be released by 18 June 2026.