Consumer engagement

Why are our consumers important to us?

All Canberrans are consumers of energy, and increasingly many customers are active participants in our energy system. Evoenergy owns and operates the ACT electricity network, and owns and operates the gas networks in the ACT, Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra, Bungendore and Nowra. Therefore, we’re keen to hear from you about what we are doing well, not so well and how we can improve. Feedback from consumers helps Evoenergy to be more responsive and puts us on the front foot when serving our customers. As our industry evolves, continued engagement with consumers is really important to help us prepare for the future and respond to challenges and opportunities.

Consumer Engagement Strategy

Evoenergy has a Consumer Engagement Strategy which guides our activities to enhance relationships with consumers and the interest groups that represent them.

Evoenergy has a long-standing commitment to the local community that we serve. We strive to operate on a daily basis with our customers’ interests at heart.

Building on our commitment to providing excellent customer service, this Strategy focuses on ways to better understand consumers and develop proactive initiatives to more effectively engage with them into the future. We understand engagement is about two-way communication and providing an opportunity for us to listen more carefully to our stakeholders.

We have a program of activities that include focus groups, community presentations, meetings with customers groups and the Energy Consumer Reference Council (ECRC).

The Stakeholder Engagement Strategy 2023 continues our consumer engagement roadmap.

Energy Consumer Reference Council (ECRC)

The Energy Consumer Reference Council (ECRC) is an independent forum providing representatives of the community with an opportunity to provide considered input into operations and long term planning of Evoenergy. The ECRC's focus is on Evoenergy's electricity and gas distribution businesses only. The Council enables direct stakeholder feedback to be considered as part of improving Evoenergy's business performance and influencing the development of regulatory review submissions.

Evoenergy gas network

Evoenergy is currently operating under the ACT, Queanbeyan and Palerang gas access arrangement 2021-26.

On 30 April 2021, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released its final decision on Evoenergy’s gas network plan for the five-year period commencing 1 July 2021.

Following an extensive review which included consulting with industry and the public, the AER’s final decision largely accepts what we proposed with the exception of our demand forecast which they have determined will be higher than our initial proposal. The AER estimates that the final decision will result in a reduction to retail gas bills from 1 July 2021 of about one per cent, followed by increases of about one per cent for the remaining four years of the period.

The coming five years will be a critical time for our gas network as we plan for a responsible transition to achieve the ACT’s net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 target. We will continue to work with the community and the ACT Government as we plan this transition.

The AER recognised the complex challenges our gas network faces as we plan to reduce emissions from gas, and has accepted our proposal to begin to recover the costs of some new assets over a shorter period, as well as our expectation that gas reticulation will cease in new ACT suburbs in 2021 and in urban infill developments from 2023, reflecting the ACT Government’s policy. The AER’s final decision anticipates a steady decline in gas connections and demand for gas over the next five years, but not as steep a decline as we had forecast in our revised proposal.

We’d again like to thank the community for their engagement on our gas plan over the past two years, particularly those that participated in our Citizen’s Jury process to consult on our draft plan. The feedback we received was invaluable in informing our plan and ensuring the service we provide meets the needs of our customers in the future.

To view the decision, visit the Australian Energy Regulator’s website.

Renewable gas projects in the ACT

Hydrogen - Evoenergy is working with the Australian National University on a research initiative around three elements: producing hydrogen from excess renewable energy: hydrogen usage as a storage medium: and a renewable energy source that can be used directly or injected into the ACT gas distribution network. Evoenergy is also actively working with the industry bodies and ACT Government on a number of trials to facilitate introduction of Hydrogen in gas network and path to convert ACT gas distribution network to meet ACT Government's net zero emission targets.

Biogas - Evoenergy is working on a business case for a pilot scheme to convert organic waste to biogas in an anaerobic digester, to inject the renewable gas into the ACT's gas distribution network. to capture CO2 for reuse and to generate soil enrichment fertiliser as part of the contribution to a closed cycle carbon neutral economy.

Electricity and Gas Customer Charters

Our Electricity and Gas Customer Charters explains our relationship with you, what you can expect from us and what we would like from you so that we can meet your expectations. These Charters are a guide for customers to our services and responsibilities.

In both the Electricity and Gas Charters, you will find important information on:

• the roles of the electricity and gas distributor and the electricity or gas retailer
• your rights and obligations as an electricity or gas distributor’s customer
• when you should contact us and how to make an enquiry or complaint
• the arrangements for connection of your electricity or gas supply
• the arrangements for the disconnection and reconnection of your electricity or gas supply
• the arrangements for a planned or unplanned interruption to your electricity or gas supply, and
• the service standards and rebates applicable to your electricity or gas supply