On 17 March 2025 the AER released the Review of the AER exemptions framework for embedded networks Draft Decision, incorporating Notice of Draft Instruments for the Draft Retail Exempt Selling Guideline (version 7) and Draft Network Exemptions Guideline (version 7), along with the draft guidelines for consultation.

To inform our finalisation of the guidelines, we are inviting feedback from interested parties about two further proposed Retail Guideline conditions that were proposed by stakeholders and have not been publicly consulted on to date. These new conditions require an exempt seller to:

1. include contact of the relevant energy ombudsman scheme on their residential customers’ energy bills
2. refund any credits applied to its customer’s account upon termination of the customer’s energy supply agreement.

We have published a consultation paper that discusses these proposed amendments, and this should be read in conjunction with the draft guidelines and notice.

Feedback should be submitted to AERexemptionsaer [dot] gov [dot] au (AERexemptions[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au) by COB Monday, 7 July 2025.

Due to the extension to our consultation, we now anticipate the final instrument to be released on or before 29 August 2025.

For the review, we instructed market research consultants Bastion Insights to support us in our consideration of policy options by conducting qualitative and quantitative research into the experiences of embedded network customers. This work comprised online discussions with around 50 embedded network residents, detailed analysis of around 100 embedded network customer bills, and a survey to compare outcomes between embedded network and retail market customers. 

Bastion Insights’ final report, Review of the Exemptions Framework for Embedded Networks Research Report, was published alongside the draft decision on 17 March 2025.

Additionally, we instructed family violence specialists Safe and Equal to support us by providing expert advice on implementing practical family violence protections for customers of exempt sellers. Safe and Equal’s advice was based on engagement with survivor advocates and exempt sellers. 

Safe and Equal’s report, Policy Advice on Family Violence Obligations for Exempt Sellers, Final Report, July 2024, was also published alongside the draft decision. 

Interested stakeholders were invited to make submissions on our draft Retail Exempt Selling Guideline before 28 April 2025. The following submissions were received. 

We received 9 submissions after the closing date. 

On 23 June 2025 the AER published a Notice of Extension under clause 8.9.2(d) of the National Electricity Rules.

The revised date to publish the final report is expected to be 29 August 2025.