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Overview
The Customer Care Guidelines guide gas retailers in helping residential gas consumers to minimise harm caused by insufficient access to gas or by payment difficulty in relation to the supply of gas.
The Consumer Care Guidelines were developed in 2022 to assist medically dependent and vulnerable gas consumers and to align the gas industry's processes with the electricity industry's Consumer Care Guidelines. They apply to natural gas and LPG retailers.
On 1 January 2025, the Electricity Authority issued updated electricity Consumer Care Obligations through an amendment to the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010. These mandatory obligations came into full force on 1 April 2025.
Given the similarities and links between the electricity and gas markets, we have now opened consultation on proposed changes to the gas Consumer Care Guidelines, to align with the electricity Consumer Care Obligations in the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010.
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Current Arrangements
Gas Consumer Care Guidelines apply to natural gas and LPG retailers and set the minimum standards to:
1. adopt behaviours and processes that foster positive relationships with residential consumers,
2. support residential consumers in accessing and maintaining an affordable and constant gas supply suitable for their needs, and
3. help minimise harm to residential consumers caused by insufficient access to gas or by payment difficulties.
We published the current Consumer Care Guidelines in 2022, following a review and consultation process in November 2021.
The Consumer Care Guidelines can be viewed below.
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Developing
Gas Consumer Care Guideline consultation - 2025
We are now consulting on a revised set of gas Consumer Care Guidelines. The gas Consumer Care Guidelines apply to natural gas and LPG retailers and set minimum standards to:
1. adopt behaviours and processes that foster positive relationships with residential consumers,
2. support residential consumers in accessing and maintaining an affordable and constant gas supply suitable for their needs, and
3. help minimise harm to residential consumers caused by insufficient access to gas or by payment difficulties.
The proposed guidelines will ensure close alignment with the mandatory electricity Consumer Care Obligations in the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010.
The consultation paper can be viewed below.
Written submissions are invited via email to [email protected] by 5.00pm on Monday 29 September 2025.
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Background
In August 2022, we published gas Consumer Care Guidelines to align the gas industry’s processes with the electricity Consumer Care Guidelines.
These Consumer Care Guidelines were developed in response to the recommendations of the Electricity Price Review.
Information relating to the development of the gas Consumer Care Guidelines can be found under Gas Industry Co’s Electricity Price Review workstream.