Guideline for exemptions to once a year price increases

The purpose of this guideline is to provide information to energy retailers and other interested parties about how a licensee can apply to the commission for an exemption from requirements that retailers restrict price increases on their market retail contracts to once a year.

The commission can grant exemptions to this requirement under clause 117(c) of the Energy Retail Code of Practice and allow licensees to offer exempt electricity and gas retail contracts. These are contracts which do not comply with the provisions in the code that limit price increases to once a year, such as contracts:

• that include a tariff that continually varies in relation to the prevailing spot price of energy, or
• under which a customer pre-purchases a specified quantity of energy.