Consultation
Previously Consulted On
Proposal to Approve a Joint Electricity and Gas Complaints Resolution Scheme
Through a Request for Applications, the Electricity Commission and Gas Industry Co sought applications for a Joint Electricity and Gas Complaints Scheme, to be approved under the Electricity Act and the Gas Act. As a result of evaluating applications, the Electricity and Gas Complaints Scheme (EGCC) has been selected as the preferred applicant.
As previously foreshadowed it is now appropriate to consult on the comparison of the preferred applicant for an Approved scheme with other options for providing a complaints resolution scheme. For comparative purposes, the other options include the Status Quo and two variants of a Regulated scheme. A consultation paper has been prepared for this purpose. The paper can also be accessed on the Electricity Commission website. The Consultation Paper asks a series of questions and the responses to those questions will be an input to the final decision by the Electricity Commission and Gas Industry Co on whether to decide on progressing the Approved scheme option or another option.
Consideration of further information
The consultation paper that has been released compares the application from the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission (EGCC) for an ‘approved’ complaints resolution scheme with other options for complaints resolution, including regulated options. The EGCC option in the paper is based on the EGCC’s proposals to amend its constitution.
On 8 April 2009, the Electricity Commission and Gas Industry Co received a letter from the EGCC advising that EGCC members had declined to agree some of these amendment proposals.
EGCC letter dated 6 April 2009
On 8 April 2009, the Electricity Commission also released information relating to the evaluation process under the Official Information Act. In order that all stakeholders have access to the same information, the Commission and Gas Industry Co have agreed to publish the material that was released. It is as follows:
In light of the EGCC’s letter, the Commission and Gas Industry Co are now considering the way forward and will discuss this at their next Board meetings at the end of April. Submitters’ views are important in helping the Commission and Gas Industry Co to determine an appropriate way forward. Stakeholders are still invited to make submissions on the issues canvassed in the consultation paper, in particular, whether there is a preference for an approved scheme provided by the industry, or a regulated scheme.
In recognition of the fact that new material has been released, the Commission and GIC have agreed to extend the submission closing date to 4pm on Monday 20 April 2009.
The preference is to receive submissions in electronic form (Microsoft Word format or pdf) with ‘Submission on Approval of a Complaints Resolution Scheme’ in the subject header to submissions
electricitycommission [dot] govt [dot] nz. However, submissions may also be uploaded onto the Gas Industry Co website, using the ‘Upload Submission’ button below.
Submissions received by Gas Industry Co will be consolidated with those received by the Electricity Commission.
Submissions received
Request for Applications (RFA) - Complaints Resolution Scheme
Author: Bas Walker
The Electricity Commission and Gas Industry Co sought applications from persons who wished to be selected as the preferred candidate for approval as a complaints resolution scheme under the Electricity Act 1992 and the Gas Act 1992. The Request for Applications was issued on 5 September 2008 and can be viewed at, or downloaded from, the following location:
http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/opdev/retail/consumercomplaints
Expressions of interest were requested by 19 September 2008.
Applications closed: 4pm on 8 December 2008
The Request for Applications is supported by a submissions analysis which responds to the issues raised in the March 2008 consultation document ‘Approval of a Joint Gas and Electricity Complaints Resolution Scheme’. The submissions analysis can be viewed or downloaded from the following location:
http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/opdev/retail/consumercomplaints
Approval of a Joint Electricity and Gas Complaints Resolution Scheme
Author: Bas Walker
The Electricity Commission and Gas Industry Co invited submissions on the consultation paper 'Approval of a Joint Electricity and Gas Complaints Resolution Scheme'. The Electricity Commission and Gas Industry Co have agreed to act jointly in the consultation and proposed approval of a complaints resolution scheme and the requirements of that scheme.The reason for this is that a single dual-fuel scheme provides benefits such as ease of access, consistency of outcomes and efficiencies of operation.
The consultation paper can be downloaded from either the Electricity Commission or the Gas Industry Co websites.
The Gas Industry Co link can be accessed by clicking here.
Submissions closed: 8 May 2008
Submissions received:
In order to foster an informed and transparent process, the Electricity Commission and Gas Industry Co made submissions available to the public on their websites. Submitters should note that the contents of submissions on this paper, whether provided directly or indirectly via Gas Industry Co, were received by the Electricity Commission, and is among the information the Commission holds that is subject to public release under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). Details on the consultation process and making submissions are set out in the consultation paper. Submissions can be viewed at: http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/submissions/retail/consumer-complaints.