Australian Capital Territory

Utilities (Variation of Terms – ActewAGL Retail Standard Customer Contract) Approval Notice 2010 (No 2)

Notifiable Instrument NI2010- 307    

made under the

Utilities Act 2000, s 91 (Notification and application of terms etc) and 
s 93 (Variation of terms)

1	Name of instrument
This instrument is the Utilities (Variation of Terms – ActewAGL Retail Standard Customer Contract) Approval Notice 2010 (No 2).
2	Commencement 
This instrument commences on the day after it is notified. 
3	Approval of variation of standard customer contract for electricity supply services
The Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission approves the variation at Schedule 1 to ActewAGL Retail’s schedule of charges in the standard customer contract for electricity supply services. 

Paul Baxter
Senior Commissioner
Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission

  15 June 2010

ActewAGL Retail
Schedule of charges for standard retail electricity supply
2010-2011
The following charges have been approved by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission as consistent with its pricing decision for customers who are on the Transitional Franchise Tariff. Unless otherwise stated, these charges apply to electricity usage on and from 1 July 2010. 
For premises with standard meters, it is assumed that consumption each day is equal to the daily average. For meter reading periods that bridge 1 July 2010, consumption prior to 1 July is charged at 2009-10 rates.

		2009-10 GST exclusive rate	2010-11 GST exclusive rate	2010-11 GST inclusive rate 	
1.	Always Home@ActewAGL plan				
	The Always Home@ActewAGL plan charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per day	48.30c	49.00c	53.90c	
	•	or if the customer pays their electricity account through the ActewAGL direct debit arrangements*, a supply charge per day of	43.30c	44.00c	48.40c	
	•	all consumption 	13.86c per kWh	14.18c per kWh	15.598c per kWh	
2.	Always Home@ActewAGL Saver plan				
	The Always Home@ActewAGL Saver plan charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per day	69.70c	70.50c	77.55c	
	•	or if the customer pays their electricity account through the ActewAGL direct debit arrangements*, a supply charge per day of	64.70c	65.50c	72.05c	
	•	consumption for the first 60 kWh per day	12.31c per kWh	12.60c per kWh	13.860 per kWh	
	•	consumption thereafter	13.86c per kWh	14.18c per kWh	15.598c per kWh	
3.	Always Home@ActewAGL Saver Plus plan				
	The Always Home@ActewAGL Saver Plus plan charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per day	$1.126	$1.135	$1.2485	
	•	or if the customer pays their electricity account through the ActewAGL direct debit arrangements*, a supply charge per day of	$1.076	$1.085	$1.1935	
	•	consumption for the first 165 kWh per day	10.86c per kWh	11.10c per kWh	12.210c per kWh	
	•	consumption thereafter	13.86c per kWh	14.18c per kWh	15.598c per kWh	
4.	Always Home@ActewAGL SmartSaver plan				
	The Always Home@ActewAGL SmartSaver plan charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per day	48.30c	49.00c	53.90c	
	•	or if the customer pays their electricity account through the ActewAGL direct debit arrangements*, a supply charge per day of	43.30c	44.00c	48.40c	
	•	for energy at peak times (as defined)	17.50c per kWh	17.90c per kWh	19.690c per kWh	
	•	for energy at shoulder times (as defined)	13.00c per kWh	13.15c per kWh	14.465c per kWh	
	•	for energy at residential off-peak times (as defined)	9.63c per kWh	9.76c per kWh	10.736c per kWh	
	* Note: the direct debit discount does not apply to direct debits against a credit card.				
5.	Business plan				
	The Business plan charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per day	71.60c	73.40c	80.74c	
	•	consumption for first 330 kWh per day	17.70c per kWh	18.30c per kWh	20.130c per kWh	
	•	consumption thereafter	20.70c per kWh	21.50c per kWh	23.650c per kWh	
6.	Community services discount (obsolete)				
	The community service discount shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per day	71.60c	73.40c	80.74c	
	The community services discount on the Business plan energy rates shall be at the rate of three per cent.				
7.	Off-peak 1 				
	The off-peak 1 / 2 charge shall be:				
	•	all consumption	7.20c per kWh	7.20c per kWh	7.920c per kWh	
8.	Off-Peak Saver Electricity plan				
	The Off-Peak Saver Electricity plan charge shall be:				
	•	all consumption	8.80c per kWh	8.80c per kWh	9.680c per kWh	
9.	Streetlighting				
	The streetlighting charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per day (per account)	71.60c	73.40c	80.740c	
	•	all consumption	13.37c per kWh	13.39c per kWh	14.729c per kWh	
10.	Business Incentive plan				
	The Business Incentive plan charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per day	77.00c	73.40c	80.74c	
	•	for energy at business times (as defined)	24.00c per kWh	25.00c per kWh	27.500c per kWh	
	•	for energy at evening times (as defined)	17.38c per kWh	17.37c per kWh	19.107c per kWh	
	•	for energy at business off-peak times (as defined)	9.03c per kWh	9.04c per kWh	9.944c per kWh	
11.	Low voltage time of use demand				
	The LV time of use demand charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per connection point per day	$2.40	$2.45	$2.695	
	•	for maximum demand in a billing period, a charge per day of	33.00c per kVA	37.60c per kVA	41.360c per kVA	
	•	for energy at business times (as defined)	15.40c per kWh	15.40c per kWh	16.940c per kWh	
	•	for energy at evening times (as defined)	13.37c per kWh	13.02c per kWh	14.322c per kWh	
	•	for energy at business off-peak times (as defined)	7.67c per kWh	7.60c per kWh	8.360c per kWh	
12.	High voltage time of use demand 				
	The HV time of use demand charge shall be:				
	•	a supply charge per connection point per day	$16.00	$17.00	$18.70	
	•	for maximum demand in a billing period, a charge per day of	13.00c per kVA	15.20c per kVA	16.72c per kVA	
	•	for the maximum demand over the previous 12-month period, a capacity charge per day of	13.00c per kVA	15.20c per kVA	16.72c per kVA	
	•	for energy at business times (as defined)	14.10c per kWh	14.30c per kWh	15.73c per kWh	
	•	for energy at evening times (as defined)	12.40c per kWh	12.10c per kWh	13.31c per kWh	
	•	for energy at business off-peak times (as defined)	7.40c per kWh
	7.10c per kWh
	7.81c per kWh
	
13.	Miscellaneous energy charges				
	Small unmetered loads: 				
	•	a supply charge per NMI per day	44.00c	44.70c	49.17c	
	•	all consumption	18.10c per kWh	18.30c per kWh	20.130c per kWh	
14.       Application of rates
14.1   The charge applicable for supply to each installation shall be in accordance with the following classification of premises, places and purposes.
14.2   The Always Home@ActewAGL plan charge shall be applicable to installations at private dwellings, excluding serviced apartments, but including:
•	living quarters for members and staff of religious orders
•	living quarters on farms
•	charitable homes
•	retirement villages
•	residential sections of nursing homes and hospitals
•	residential sections of boarding schools and educational institutions
•	churches, buildings or premises which are used principally for public worship
•	approved caravan sites.
Serviced apartments are premises which from time to time are available for hire for accommodation for periods which may be less than one month and where service available to the apartments includes provision and laundering of bed linen.
In respect of multiple dwellings of three or more dwelling units, the Always Home@ActewAGL plan charge will only be applicable where each dwelling unit is given a separately metered supply and the account is in the name of the occupant.
When a portion of a premises is used principally for domestic purposes, loads not exceeding five kilowatts, which are used for other than domestic purposes may be supplied at the Always Home@ActewAGL plan charge. For this purpose, the loading of equipment shall be taken to be:
•	for permanently connected equipment, the actual rating of the equipment
•	for light fittings, 60 watts per light fitting
•	for plug sockets:
-	sockets rated 10 amperes or 10 amperes per phase: 500 watts or 500 watts per phase
-	sockets rated other than 10 amperes: the wattage rating shall be taken as 50 times the current rating of the socket.
14.3   The Always Home@ActewAGL Saver plan charge is available only to customers eligible for the Always Home@ActewAGL plan charge. Customers are ineligible to apply for this charge if they have been on this charge in the previous 12 months and have since been supplied energy at the Always Home@ActewAGL plan or the Always Home@ActewAGL Saver Plus plan to that premises.
14.4   The Always Home@ActewAGL Saver Plus plan charge is available only to customers eligible for the Always Home@ActewAGL plan charge and who have installed a fixed operational electric appliance which incorporates a mechanical refrigeration unit and a fan or fans, arranged so that the evaporator and the condenser can be switched to heat or cool air blown through the appliance (heat pump). Customers are ineligible to apply for this charge if they have been on this charge in the previous 12 months and have since been supplied energy at the Always Home@ActewAGL plan charge or Always Home@ActewAGL Saver plan charge to that premises.
14.5   The Always Home@ActewAGL SmartSaver plan charge is available only to customers eligible for the Always Home@ActewAGL plan charge who have an interval meter or time-of-use meter.
14.6   The Business plan charge is available to installations not taking supply at any other defined charge except for off-peak charges, and shall include:
•	installations on farms which are not living quarters and have loads exceeding five kilowatts (as defined above)
•	nursing homes and hospitals, excluding residential sections
•	boarding schools and educational institutions, excluding residential sections
•	motels, hotels, serviced apartments and any form of accommodation used to house temporary residents for periods of less than one month at caravan parks or other temporary accommodation sites
•	shops, offices, warehouses, factories, professional rooms
•	social or sporting club facilities not used for domestic accommodation.
14.7   Temporary supply (for example, for building purposes) may be rendered at the discretion of ActewAGL Distribution. ActewAGL Distribution shall estimate the cost for single or three phase installation, of installing, dismantling, connecting and disconnecting mains, lines and apparatus. The rate chargeable for power used shall be at the Business plan charge.
14.8   The community services discount is obsolete. It shall be available only to existing installations receiving this discount.
14.9   Off-peak charges are available only to customers taking all other energy at Always Home@ActewAGL plan, Always Home@ActewAGL SmartSaver plan or Business plan rates. The actual settings on the time switch will be nominated by ActewAGL. Times referred to in this clause are in Australian Eastern Standard Time

The Standard Off-Peak charge  (Off-Peak 1) shall provide operation for a minimum of six hours and a maximum of eight hours within any one day, between 2200 hours (10.00pm) and 0700 hours (7.00am). The standard off-peak charge (off-peak 1) is applicable to recharging electric vehicles, compressing natural gas for CNG vehicles and permanent heat (or cold) storage installations of a design and rating acceptable to ActewAGL Distribution, which absorb their major energy during restricted times, but which may be boosted at the principal charge at other times. 
The Off-Peak Saver Electricity plan charge shall provide operation for a total of 13 hours in any one day. The said 13 hours shall be comprised of eight hours between 2200 hours (10.00pm) and 0700 hours (7.00am) and five hours between 0900 hours (9.00am) and 1700 hours (5.00pm). 
The Off-Peak Saver Electricity plan charge is applicable to the following installations which absorb their major energy during restricted times, but which may be boosted at the principal charge at other times:
•	Water heating storage units for which a test certificate has been issued indicating compliance with Australian Standard 1056 and having lower or upper and lower elements, but with any upper element connected to the principal charge. Rated delivery shall be not less than 160 litres;
•	Water heating storage units where electricity is used to supplement other forms of energy (for example, solar hot water).
•	Storage space heating or cooling including under-floor, concrete-slab heating systems; and
•	Swimming or spa pool heating, and associated auxiliaries, but not to spa baths.
14.10 The streetlighting charge shall be applicable to the night-time lighting of streets and public ways and places.
14.11  Time of use demand charges.
Subject to an applicant providing at their own cost all necessary equipment together with adequate accommodation for the installation and proper maintenance of that installation all to the satisfaction of ActewAGL, time of use demand supply may be made available to that installation.
The high voltage time of use demand charge may be available to consumers taking supply at a nominal voltage not less than 11,000 volts.
14.12 Time periods
For residential tariffs:
Peak times are defined as from 0700 hours (7.00am) to 0900 hours (9.00am) and from 1700 hours (5.00pm) to 2000 hours (8.00pm) daily.
Shoulder times are defined as from 0900 hours (9.00am) to 1700 hours (5.00pm) and from 2000 hours (8.00pm) to 2200 hours (10.00pm) daily.
Residential off-peak times are defined as all other times.
For non-residential tariffs:
Business times are defined as from 0700 hours (7.00am) to 1700 hours (5.00pm) on weekdays.
Evening times are defined as from 1700 hours (5.00pm) to 2200 hours (10.00pm) on weekdays.
Business off-peak times are defined as all other times.
Times referred to in this clause for time of use charges are Australian Eastern Standard Time. Weekdays are Monday to Friday.
14.13 Meter readings
Meter readings (other than readings taken at the termination of supply) shall be taken to the nearest 10 kilowatt hours (kWh). The billing period for the purpose of determining the maximum demand charge shall be one month or part thereof where a customer changes their retail supplier. 
Supply and miscellaneous energy charges shall be applied per connection point and applied daily.

		2009-10 GST-exclusive rate	2010-11 GST-exclusive rate	
2010-11 GST inclusive rate	
15.	Service charges				
15.1	For establishment of a new customer account	$28.91	$29.55	$32.50	
15.2	For visit to re-energise or de-energise a premises:				
	•	business hours re-energise	$47.27	$49.09	$54.00	
	•	after hours re-energise	$102.73	$105.45	$116.00	
	•	business hours de-energise (not for late payment)	$42.73	$43.64	$48.00	
15.3	Special meter read; for example check read (second within a billing period)	$30.91	$31.82	$35.00	
15.4	Disconnection notification fee (for late payment)	$12.82	$13.64	$15.00	
15.5	Attendance (debt collection) first visit in a 12-month period (in business hours)	$48.18	$49.09	$54.00	
	Attendance (debt collection) within a year of a previous visit (in business hours)	$66.36	$67.27	$74.00	
15.6	De-energise a premises for late payment.	$79.09	$81.82	$90.00	
15.7	Field visit read only (visit to de-energise for late payment)	$57.27	$59.09	$65.00	
16.	Miscellaneous charges				
16.1	Dishonoured cheque and credit card reversal (administration charge):				
	•	the greater of	$13.64 per account or
$30.00 per cheque or reversal	$13.64 per account or
$30.91 per cheque or reversal	$15.00 per account or
$34.00 per cheque or reversal	
16.2	Direct debit reject (administration charge)	$8.18 per reject	$8.18 per reject	$9.00 per reject	
16.3	Refund (administration charge other than first in a 12-month period)	$27.27 per refund	$27.27 per refund	$30.00 per refund	

17 Renewable Energy Generation
If a customer has a grid-connected renewable (solar or wind) energy generator and the customer is not receiving the ACT feed-in tariff as established under the Electricity Feed-in (Renewable Energy Premium) Act 2008, the following arrangements apply:

•	The customer will pay the published energy tariff rate for all energy imported from ActewAGL Distribution's network. 
•	In the event that the customer has generated energy over a billing period, then ActewAGL Retail will purchase the energy at the customer’s energy tariff rate
•	If the customer is on a time-of-use tariff, the customer’s energy tariff rate for the purpose of purchasing energy generated shall be the middle rate (shoulder rate for residential customers and evening rate for commercial customers). 
•	If the customer is on a tariff with two or more price steps, the customer’s energy tariff rate for the purpose of purchasing energy generated shall be the rate applied to the first step. 
•	The customer will continue to pay the supply charge.  
•	This arrangement is available only to customers with less than 30 kilowatts installed capacity of renewable generation.

Where the customer is entitled to the ACT feed-in tariff, the following arrangements apply:
•	All consumption is billed at the customer’s published energy tariff rate(s).
•	The customer will be paid in accordance with their ACT feed-in contract with ActewAGL Retail for all metered energy generated
•	The customer will continue to pay the supply charge and any other applicable charges.
18.     Payment assistance
ActewAGL offers a range of flexible payment options. If you would like information on these or if you need payment assistance, call us on 13 14 93. If you are having difficulty paying your account and ActewAGL is unable to assist, you may also apply to the Administrative and Civil Appeals Tribunal (ACAT), telephone 6207 7740, for assistance.