Tango Energy Pty Ltd (ACN 155 908 839) applied for a licence to sell gas by retail in Victoria under section 25 of the Gas Industry Act 2001 (Vic) (GIA). 

We may grant or refuse to grant applications for any reason we consider appropriate having regard to the our objectives under the Gas Industry Act 2001 (Vic) and the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 (Vic).

On 26 June 2019 we granted the licence under the Gas Industry Act 2001 (Vic). On 20 April 2023, the legal name of the licensee was changed from Tango Energy Pty Ltd to Pacific Blue Retail Pty Ltd.

Commencement

1 January 2021: The ability for distributors to interrupt a customer's supply with less than four business days' notice subject to consent requirements. Transitional arrangements for the current guaranteed service level scheme commence. 

1 April 2021: New obligations on electricity retailers to provide better customer information to distributors.

1 July 2021: The new planned outage communication requirements and guaranteed service level scheme come into effect.

Consultation on our draft decision

Consultation on our draft decision closed on 2 July 2020.

As part of our consultation on our draft decision we met with:

• all five electricity distributors
• eight retailers
• two consumer groups
• and the Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria).  

We also held a stakeholder webinar to present what we heard during this consultation. The webinar was attended by 32 stakeholders including one member of the public and representatives from:

• all five electricity distributors
• 10 retailers
• four consumer groups
• Energy Safe Victoria
• the Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria)
• the Department of Environment, Land, Water and planning.

Much of the feedback focused on fine tuning and refining the proposed framework. Some of the key matters stakeholders raised were around the practicalities of implementing the reforms along with a customer centric approach. We considered this feedback in designing the final framework in a way that achieved the intent of our draft decisions while taking stakeholder views into account.

The key feedback on our proposals related to:

• requiring retailers to collect and share customer information, including email addresses and phone numbers, with distributors
• ensuring that retailers apply guaranteed service level payments to customer accounts in a timely manner
• requiring distributors to obtain explicit informed consent to provide customers with only electronic notification of planned supply outages
• ensuring distributors make guaranteed service level payments in a timely way
• making sure customers are notified about the cancellation of works in most circumstances
• notifying local communities about the potential for unplanned outages due to the annual compliance testing of bushfire safety equipment
• considering the commencement time frames for the new rules.

A more detailed summary of the feedback received can be downloaded below. The stakeholder webinar slides and recording can also be accessed below.

Enquiries can be sent to: edc.review@esc.vic.gov.au

Keep updated

The code has many different areas to consider. Throughout 2019-20 and beyond, we are engaging with many different stakeholders as we consider the matters outlined for review.

If you would like to receive direct updates and notifications about our project, please email edc.review@esc.vic.gov.au.

As part of our Electricity Distribution Code review 2019, we have reviewed the technical standards within the Electricity Distribution Code.

The technical standards of the code are reflective of an era when there was limited ways for customers to interact with the electricity network.

New energy technology such as solar generators and batteries are now making available choices for customers and how they could interact with the electricity network.

Our code review seeks the technical standards to remain fit for purpose in such an environment to cover areas such as: 

• voltage standards - technical parameters that govern the way electricity is supplied  
• harmonics - technical parameters that govern the distortion limits with the power supply
• negative sequence - technical parameter that govern the level of system imbalance
• power factor - a measure of the effective use of power.

Keep updated

The code has many different areas to consider. Throughout 2020 we will continue to engage with many different stakeholders as we consider the matters outlined for review.

If you would like to receive direct updates and notifications about our project, please email edc.review@esc.vic.gov.au.

We will continue the review of the Electricity Distribution Code

The electricity sector is undergoing transformation.

We will continue the code reviews after the review of technical standards and customer protections have been completed. The wider review may consider new developments in technologies and business services which may create values and opportunities for customers without eroding their protection and rights. 

Throughout 2019-20, we will be open to consultation and consider a range of code relevant matters which can promote the long term interests of Victorian. 

On 10 July 2019, Balance Commodities and Energy Pty Ltd (ACN 623 247 003) applied for a licence to sell electricity under section 18 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic). 

Consultation on the licence application closed on 7 August 2019. We did not receive any submissions.

We granted the licence on 22 August 2019.

Yatpool Sun Farm Pty Ltd (ABN 83 610 306 324) has applied for a licence to generate electricity for supply or sale, and to sell electricity under section 18 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic). The applicant proposes to generate electricity at the Yatpool solar farm located approximately 20km south-west of Mildura, Victoria.

We may grant or refuse to grant applications for any reason we consider appropriate having regard to our objectives under the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic) and the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 (Vic). 

On 22 May 2019 we granted the licence to generate electricity for supply or sale, and to sell electricity.

In 2017, we reviewed the Energy Retail Code and made changes that better protect residential customers anticipating or facing payment difficulty.

On 1 January 2019 changes to the Energy Retail Code took effect. These changes protect customers facing payment difficulty and ensure disconnection is only ever a measure of last resort.

In February 2019, we audited retailers’ websites to ensure they included information for customer’s on their entitlements to assistance, including:

• their financial hardship policy
• the kinds of assistance that is available to customers who are experiencing payment difficulty
• how customers can their lower energy costs
• government and non-government assistance that may be available to help customers meet their energy costs.

What we audited

We checked retailers’ websites to ensure they included information for customer’s on their entitlements to assistance.

In cases where we found retailers were missing information, we wrote to them seeking they provide accessible information on how they can help customers facing payment difficulty. We asked that websites include:

• the assistance available to avoid getting into arrears
• the flexible and practicable ways  customers  can pay their on-going energy use, repay their arrears and lower their energy costs.

The result

All the retailers we wrote to made changes to their websites. Information about customer’s entitlements to assistance is now easily available on their retailer websites.