Gas Industry Co has worked with industry to develop a range of voluntary schemes, information exchange protocols and guidelines, to help make legislation and requirements clear, promote efficiency and enhance consumer outcomes.
Schemes
There are two voluntary, industry-agreed schemes which access industry service agreements - the Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme and the Retail Gas Contracts Oversight Scheme.
The Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme is a voluntary, industry-agreed scheme which assesses standard gas distribution service agreements against a set of principles. The scheme was endorsed by the Minister of Energy and Resources in September 2012.
The Scheme's has three main goals:
- to ensure that the core terms and conditions in distribution arrangements are clear and reasonable
- to promote market efficiency
- to ultimately enhance consumer outcomes.
The Scheme includes a set of distribution principles that cover non-price contractual (and inferred) terms, such as the obligations and rights of parties and information exchange and use, as agreed between gas distribution businesses and gas retail businesses. These principles are designed to provide a high-level context for commercial negotiations between distributors and retailers.
Assessments under the scheme are conducted by an independent assessor on an exceptions' basis, as contracts are revised or replaced.
Learn more about the Gas Distribution Contracts Oversight Scheme
The Retail Gas Contracts Oversight Scheme is a voluntary scheme which seeks to improve outcomes for small gas consumers. It does this by assessing standard published gas contracts against a set of Benchmarks and Reasonable Consumer Expectations (RCEs) on a regular basis. A 2023 review by an independent assessor found that overall alignment with the Benchmarks and RCEs was 'substantial'.
In mid-2025, we reviewed the Scheme's Benchmarks and RCE's and determined that no changes were needed.
Learn more about the Retail Gas Contracts Oversight Scheme.
Gas Information Exchange Protocols
Information relating to gas connections and gas consumption is routinely exchanged between gas market participants for a variety of reasons. Files are also exchanged between central IT systems such as the gas registry and gas allocation system as part of the orderly functioning of the gas market.
Specifying and standardising the format for information exchange creates efficiencies and allows participants to automate the production, transmission and receipt of information.
In 2010/2011, four voluntary protocols for exchanging information between retailers and network owners were developed in consultation with industry, to echo equivalent protocols in the electricity industry.
Learn more about the Gas Information Exchange Protocols.
For retailers to provide information on the change in connection status at installations (e.g. disconnections and reconnections) and also provide detail as to the nature of the status change (e.g. disconnected at meter etc).
Related documents
Guidelines
We have developed a number of guidelines to support our policy objective 'to ensure that gas is delivered to existing and new customers in a safe, efficient, fair, reliable and environmentally sustainable manner'.
Gas Market Guidelines
We have developed guidelines to align the gas industry's processes with the Electricity Price Review's recommendations for the electricity market.
The gas 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.
We are currently in the process of updating the Consumer Care Guidelines to ensure they align with the new electricity Consumer Care Obligations.
Learn more about the Consumer Care Guidelines.
Related documents
The Gas Saves and Winbacks Guidelines - 2022 were developed to provide guidance for gas retailers in managing the saves and winbacks behaviour.
Learn more about the Saves and Winbacks Guidelines.
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The Guidelines for Raising Awareness of Utilities Disputes and Powerswitch - 2022 were deveope to 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.
Learn more about the Guidelines for Raising Awareness of Utilities Disputes and Powerswitch.
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Critical Contingency Management Guidelines
We have developed guidelines to support the CCM Regulations to manage critical gas outages and other security of supply contingencies, without compromising long-term security of supply.
Learn more about Critical Contingency Management.
The Gas Governance (Critical Contingency Management) Regulations 2008 (the Regulations) were amended in 2013 following a recommendation to the Minister of Energy and Resources from Gas Industry Co. One of the amendments was to change the arrangements relating to Regional Critical Contingencies.
In 2025, we made changes to the guidelines to improve readability, update the network configuration schematics, and add a sixth critical contingency scenario.
Learn more about Guidelines for Determining Regional Critical Contingencies.
Related documents
We have produced two guidance notes available below for those wishing to apply for Contingency Designations.
Completely independent and independent - The guidance note on the meaning of 'completely independent' and 'independent' when appointing a technical expert, relates to those applying for a Critical Processing Designation, for which a technical expert must be appointed to help assess the application.
Other applications may have a technical expert appointed if we think it is necessary.
Residential care -The guidance note on the meaning of 'residential care' relates to Critical Care Designation applications.
Learn more about applying for Contingency Designations.
Related documents
Downstream Reconciliation
We have developed guidelines to assist allocation participants and the allocation agent in interpreting and applying the Gas (Downstream Reconciliation) Rules 2008 ("the Rules").
Learn more about Downstream Reconciliation.
Related documents
Switching and Registry
The Switching Rules enable consumers to choose and alternate efficiently and satisfactorily between competing retailers.
Learn more about Switching and Registry.
Guidelines were issued by the Market Administrator to show how it will apply the factors to be taken into account when determining whether alleged breaches raise material issues under the Gas Governance (Compliance) Regulations 2008. These guidelines should assist switching participants in interpreting and applying the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008