Draft rule determination: National Energy Retail Amendment (Improving the application of concessions to bills) Rule 2025 - The Australian Energy Markets Commission (AEMC) - August 2025
In August 2025, The Salvation Army provided a submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) in response to their consultation for the Draft National Energy Retail Amendment (Improving the application of concessions to bills) Rule 2025 (the rule). The Salvation Army strongly supports enactment of the draft rule, recognising its potential to improve awareness and access to energy concessions for vulnerable consumers. Our submission highlights the importance of accompanying action recommendations, which address systemic barriers beyond the scope of the rule itself. These include automating concession application and verification, enhancing retailer guidance, and resolving eligibility challenges for non-account holders.
The Salvation Army makes three key recommendations:
- Enact the draft rule to ensure minimum standards of concession-related communication and support.
- Introduce a rule requiring retailers to make reasonable inquiries to confirm concession eligibility.
- Continue stakeholder consultation to develop consistent, inclusive guidance for applying concessions to bills, especially for non-account holders.
The submission underscores the need for holistic, person-centred approaches and affirms The Salvation Army’s commitment to ongoing collaboration with the AEMC to ensure equitable energy outcomes for all Australians.