New Zealand electricity traders will be required to submit half-hourly consumption data for reconciliation where a half-hour-capable meter is installed.
The Electricity Authority has introduced new Code requirements aimed at strengthening consumer protections and improving the overall electricity billing experience for New Zealand consumers.
Businesses will no longer be able to surcharge customers for Visa, Mastercard, eftpos or Amex card payments.
The Victorian Midday Power Saver will provide eligible smart meter customers with up to 24 kWh of free electricity daily between 11am and 2pm, with different rates applying outside these hours.
From 1 October 2026, residential disconnection and Victoria’s Better Offer thresholds will increase, requiring retailers to update relevant billing and collection processes.
New Market Retail Contracts must provide customers with a widely used fee-free payment option and cannot be restricted to a single payment method. Retailers must also automatically move eligible customers experiencing payment difficulty to their best available offer, with eligibility reviewed at least every six months. Customers must be notified and given up to 10 business days to opt out before being transferred.
Updated Life Support templates are now available for implementation and compliance requirements.
Future billing requirements will require centrally heated hot water consumption to be displayed in energy units (MJ or kWh) instead of litres, impacting embedded network operators and hot water retailers serving apartment buildings and similar developments.
From 1 July 2026, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) will increase the minimum electricity and gas disconnection threshold from $300 to $500 (including GST) across NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, and the ACT, while Victoria's Essential Services Commission (ESC) has approved a future increase to $1,000 from 1 October 2026
Under Default Market Offer (DMO) framework - Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia