Explore this Work Programme:
Overview
This workstream investigated whether the 32 recommendations made under the Government's Electricity Price Review (EPR) should also be applied to the natural gas and LPG (gas) markets.
About the Electricity Price Review
In April 2018, the Government appointed an advisory panel to investigate whether the current electricity market delivers “efficient, fair and equitable prices [to customers]”. That panel issued its final report comprising 32 recommendations in May 2019.
Given the similarities and links between the electricity and natural gas and LPG (gas) markets, and our policy objective "to ensure that gas is delivered to existing and new customers in a safe, efficient, fair, reliable and environmentally sustainable manner”, we considered it prudent to proactively consider extending the Electricity Price Review recommendations to gas markets.
Our consultation
On 6 November 2020, we released our consultation paper Extending the Electricity Price Review’s Final Recommendations to the Gas Market - An Assessment (see below).
It set out our initial assessment on whether or not the 32 recommendations should be extended to gas markets.
We consulted with a wide stakeholder group to get feedback on our initial assessment.
Related documents
New gas market guidelines consultation
In November 2020 we established a workstream to investigate the application of the 32 Electricity Price Review (EPR) recommendations to the gas market.
We consulted on these recommendations and published our final recommendations on 8 March 2021.
We have since developed new gas market guidelines for:
- dealing with vulnerable gas consumers (EPR recommendation B6)
- raising gas consumer awareness of the Utilities Disputes and Powerswitch services (EPR recommendation C2)
- managing saves and winbacks behaviour in the gas market (EPR recommendation C5).
For consistency and efficiency, these new gas market guidelines are aligned closely with corresponding guidelines that apply to the electricity market.
Submissions on the draft guidelines closed in July 2021. We received seven submissions (see Related documents below).
Related documents
Submissions
Submissions Analysis and Recommendations
In April 2018, the Government appointed an advisory panel to investigate whether the current electricity market delivers “efficient, fair and equitable prices” to customers. The Electricity Price Review panel issued its final report in May 2019.
The electricity markets have similarities and links to the natural gas and LPG markets, so Gas Industry Company thought it prudent to consider extending the Electricity Price review recommendations to the gas market as part of its policy objective of ensuring that gas is delivered to existing and new customers in a safe, efficient, fair, reliable and environmentally sustainable manner.
We established a workstream to investigate applying each of the Electricity Price Review recommendations. A consultation paper was published on 6 November 2020. 15 submissions were received. Gas Industry Company has now reviewed these submissions and developed a set of recommended next steps. These recommendations are set out in the paper below.
Submissions closed on Monday 22 March 2021 at 5pm and three submissions were received, these are displayed below.
Related documents
Submissions
Assessment
On 6 November 2020, Gas Industry Co released its consultation paper Extending the Electricity Price Review’s Final Recommendations to the Gas Market – An Assessment. The consultation paper sets out Gas Industry Co’s initial assessment on whether or not the 32 recommendations should be extended to Gas markets. Gas Industry Co consulted with a wide stakeholder group (including relevant consumer stakeholders) to get feedback on Gas Industry Co’s initial assessment. The consultation paper can be found here
The date for submissions closed on 4 December 2020, with Gas Industry Co having received 15 submissions. These submissions are available below. Gas Industry Co intends to publish its final recommendations in respect of this consultation process in early 2021.
Related documents
Submissions
Finalising gas market guidelines
We published the following draft guidelines on 1 June 2021:
- Gas Consumer Care Guidelines
- Utilities Disputes and Powerswitch Guidelines
- Saves and Winbacks Guidelines.
We received seven submissions on the draft guidelines. After analysing submissions, on 9 November 2021 we published:
- final guidelines for Utilities Disputes and Powerswitch, Saves and Winbacks
- a final draft of the Gas Consumer Care Guidelines.
Consultation on the final guidelines closed on 29 November 2021.
Related documents
Submissions
Final Gas Consumer Care Guidelines Submissions
On 9 November 2021 Gas Industry Co published:
- final version of the Utilities Disputes and Powerswtich Guidelines, and the Saves and Winbacks Guidelines; and
- a final draft of the Gas Consumer Care Guidelines.
Gas Industry Co sought submissions on the Gas Consumer Care Guidelines by 29 November 2021.
The below document contains a summary of submissions on the Gas Consumer Care Guidelines.
To support the Gas Consumer Care Guidelines, Gas Industry Co has prepared a draft Notice of Potential Medically Dependent Consumer (MDC) Status, and a template Gas Consumer Care Policy for retailers. Gas Industry Co is now seeking submissions on these documents.
We received two submissions and they can be read below.
Final Gas Consumer Care Guidelines
We have published our final guidelines to align the gas industry's processes with the Electricity Price Review's recommendations for the electricity market.
Our workstream involved several rounds of consultation with industry, culminating in three recommendations proposing the introduction of new guidelines for gas industry participants. The guidelines are as follows:
- Gas Consumer Care Guidelines set out guidelines for gas retailers in helping residential gas consumers who may experience insufficient access to gas or payment difficulties.
- Gas Saves and Winbacks Guidelines provide guidance for gas retailers in managing the saves and winbacks behaviour.
- Guidelines for Raising Awareness of Utilities Disputes and Powerswitch provide guidance for gas retailers and gas distributors to raise consumer awareness of the services provided by Utilities Disputes and Powerswitch through their customer communications.
We will be monitoring industry alignment with the guidelines. The timetable for assessment of alignment is outlined in each of the respective guidelines.
The outcomes of this monitoring will be used to inform any additional work that we undertake in this workstream.
Supporting documents to help industry align their processes with these new guidelines are attached below and include:
- Consumer Care Policy for Retailers
- Notice of Potential Medically Dependent Consumer (MDC) Status
Related documents
Assessment of Retailer Alignment with Consumer Guidelines
Retailers selling both gas and electricity are generally aligned with consumer care guidelines for the gas industry, a Gas Industry Co process suggests.
Gas industry guidelines were developed in response to the Electricity Price Review’s recommended consumer care guidelines in the electricity industry. The guidelines were published in August last year with the intention to complete a self-assessment of dual fuel retailers’ alignment, which was provided in August this year.
A report summarising retailer alignment with the guidelines, and an indication of next steps, has now been published below.
Gas Industry Co proposes to review feedback from retailers about the guidelines. A follow-up assessment is expected at the same time as a scheduled assessment for gas industry participants who do not supply electricity, scheduled for August 2024.
We would like to thank retailers for their engagement in completing the self-assessment form.