Customer Protection Mechanisms

The Minister for Energy introduced a number of new mechanisms to protect small use customers in the new competitive gas market. The ERA assumed responsibility for these mechanisms on 31 May 2004. These include:

• the Gas Industry Ombudsman Scheme;
• the Gas Marketing Code of Conduct;
• regulations for standard form and non-standard contracts; and
• regulations to establish supplier of last resort arrangements.

Additional information on the customer protection measures can be found on the Office of Energy's web site.

Review of the Gas Marketing Code of Conduct

A review of the Gas Marketing Code of Conduct was undertaken in accordance with the Energy Coordination Act. Click here to review the documents.

The Retail Market Scheme (RMS)

A Retailer must be a member of an approved RMS if it wishes to sell gas to customers through a gas distribution system and there is at least one other company selling gas through that distribution system.

An RMS is a scheme that enables a retail market administrator to manage the gas market. An RMS must cover the process for customer transfers, as well as the balancing, allocation, and reconciliation of the gas market.

The Minister for Energy has approved an RMS that covers all of the WA Gas Networks distribution systems. The retail market administrator for this RMS is the Retail Energy Market Company Limited (REMCo). Additional information on REMCo and the RMS can be obtained from the REMCo web site.

The Minister for Energy has approved the Western Australian policy regarding compliance with the Retail Market Rules (the Rules). This policy applies to the Rules that were approved by the Minister as part of the RMS. This policy on Rules compliance is intended to be complementary to Chapter 6 of the Rules, and to REMCo's procedure for Rules compliance.

Responsibility for the REMCo RMS transferred to the Economic Regulation Authority (ERA) on 31 May 2005. The ERA will determine its own Rules compliance policy.

Additional information on the RMS can be found on the Office of Energy's web site.

Review of the REMCo Gas Retail Market Scheme

A review of the REMCo Gas Retail Market Scheme is currently being undertaken in accordance with the Energy Coordination Act. Click here to review the documents.