Message from the Chair of the CEO Council – Frank Tudor MD at Jemena, Landowner and Community Enagegement Guide, Customer Voice Jo De Silva at EWOSA, 2021 Independent Accountability Process, #BetterTogether – $1.5 million to support vulnerable customers impacted by COVID Read More
The energy businesses’ disclosures benchmark the improvements Energy Charter companies undertake to be more customer focused over a 12-month period. They also measure the progress signatories have made against the recommendations handed down by the Independent Accountability Panel last year.
Chair of the Energy Charter CEO Council, Frank Tudor said that despite the ongoing impact of COVID on customers and communities, signatories to the Energy Charter had made a concerted effort to collaborate across the supply chain and put customers first.
“2021 has continued to be an extremely challenging year for our customers, communities and signatories with the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with these challenges also come unique opportunities to better support Australians, to step beyond business-as-usual and demonstrate as a sector we are working together on the vision of the Energy Charter to ‘deliver energy for a better Australia’.
“Last month, Energy Charter signatories committed more than $1 million over the next 12 months to deliver and augment a range of programs across Australia, including with community organisations, to step up support for customers in vulnerable circumstances.
Thousands of Australians most impacted by COVID-19 will receive vital help to better manage their energy bills and access support programs.
We encourage customers and stakeholders to have their say about whether the energy sector has met their expectations, and where we can do better” Mr Tudor said.
Over the past 12 months, through the Energy Charter:
The Energy Charter signatories’ disclosure reports have been submitted to the Independent Accountability Panel for review which is chaired by Clare Petre with panellists Cassandra Goldie, CEO Australian Council of Social Service and Andrew Richards, CEO Energy Users Association of Australia.
The Independent Accountability Panel’s period of public consultation will include online stakeholder forums and CEO interviews to be held throughout October, before making their recommendations public in early December 2021. Written submissions about the signatories’ disclosures are invited by the Independent Accountability Panel until 30 October 2021.
Customer Code Council Update, Code Champion Patricia Paech, Australian Systems Integration, What’s On, Customer Code Library – Checklist for large energy users Read More
Energy businesses worked closely with their customer councils to ensure that their disclosures were reflective of the outcomes that they had delivered to customers during 2020-21. In addition, feedback was obtained in relation to self-maturity assessments under the Energy Charter’s Maturity Model.
The signatory 2020-21 disclosures share with energy consumers and stakeholders:
In addition, the Energy Charter 2020-21 disclosure asks “what have we done that has made an actual difference for the customer this year?”. With ongoing momentum, this includes:
Over the coming month, Energy Charter signatories look forward to the opportunity to attend Stakeholder Forums and CEO meetings hosted by the IAP, and reflect on the 2021 IAP Report (December) in order to get valuable feedback on whether they are meeting customer expectations, and where there is room for continuous improvement.
Signatory disclosures will be available for download via the IAP website from Friday 1 October.
Energy Charter CEO Council Chair Frank Tudor (MD Jemena) said the funding commitment included additional support programs for vulnerable customers.
“The ongoing impacts of COVID are seeing the most vulnerable members of our community hit hardest,” Mr Tudor said.
“As signatories to the Energy Charter we recognise the need to provide further assistance above and beyond our existing support programs to ensure more disadvantaged Australians can keep the lights on.”
“Our 12 month COVID-19 Customer Vulnerability research conducted by Deloitte, shows that renters, JobSeekers, young people and those from culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) are feeling the greatest impacts of COVID.
“The research shows that 27 per cent of respondents who need energy bill support aren’t confident to obtain it, with 12 per cent saying they didn’t receive support because they didn’t know how to access it.
“Increased funding will assist individuals, families and small businesses to better access concessions and government rebates and help manage their ongoing energy usage.
“Support will be delivered directly by Energy Charter signatories or in partnership with community groups across Australia to get the help to where it’s needed most in the quickest way. Other programs will support customers and communities with access to other essential support.”
Support measures include:
Mr Tudor said the support measures build on previous programs and initiatives delivered in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, including the Energy Network Relief Package, Covid19 Support Fund in Tasmania, and the Voices for Power energy literacy “Train the Trainer” program in Western Sydney.
“Energy Charter signatories have a long history of supporting vulnerable customers – particularly in partnership with community organisations – and it is fantastic to see these programs continuing to mature throughout the remainder of 2021 and into 2022.”
Energy Charter signatories providing new levels of support to customers facing vulnerability include: ActewAGL, Aurora Energy, Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG), APA Group, CS Energy, EnergyAustralia, Energy Queensland including Energex, Ergon Energy Network, Ergon Retail and Yurika, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy, Horizon Power, Jemena, Powerlink Queensland, Powershop/Meridian Energy and TransGrid. The support will cover electricity and gas customers in New South Wales (including Western Sydney), Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland.
Ongoing support programs are being delivered by Ausgrid and Stanwell.
The Uniting Energy Support Program is focused on delivering tailored, one-on-one advice and assistance to energy customers across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria by community organisation Uniting. Over $200,000 is being injected into the program by APA Group, CS Energy, EnergyAustralia, Energy Queensland, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy, Jemena, Powerlink Queensland and Powershop/Meridian Energy.
“The collaboration across Energy Charter businesses to support community organisations like Uniting is a step change for customers facing vulnerability. Not only does it create a sustainable approach for ongoing support programs, it also aligns the energy supply chain in a way that we have not seen before. Uniting is proud to be working with Energy Charter businesses in supporting those in the community who need it the most.” – Matt Cairns, Senior Manager, Uniting Vic. Tas.
Four quarterly waves of research into COVID-19 customer vulnerability were conducted by Deloitte from September 2020-2021. The most recent wave (September 2021) found that:
A national CEO-lead collaboration that supports the energy sector towards a customer-centric future. Our core values of “Be invested, make a difference”, “Be open, learn and improve”, and “Think big, be bold” are brought to life through #BetterTogether initiatives focused on delivering better customer outcomes for all Australians.
Full Signatories: ActewAGL, APA Group, Aurora Energy, Ausgrid, Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG), CS Energy, Endeavour Energy, Energy Queensland Limited including Energex, Ergon Energy Network, Ergon Retail and Yurika, EnergyAustralia, Essential Energy, Horizon Power, Jemena & Ovida, Meridian Energy Australia & Powershop Australia, Powerlink Queensland, Stanwell and TransGrid.
#BetterTogether Collaborator: Simply Energy.
Energy Charter Supporter: Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
For media enquiries, please contact:
Sabiene Heindl
Executive Director
The Energy Charter
E: director@theenergycharter.com
M: 0412 039 747
Landholder and community engagement is an important aspect of providing essential energy services to Australian communities. As we move increasingly towards a new energy future, there are growing opportunities for proactive engagement between energy businesses, landholders and communities regarding energy asset development projects and the maintenance of existing energy assets. For transmission businesses, there is already an increase of asset development in line with the growth in renewable energy.
The Landholder & Community Engagement Better Practice Guide was co-designed by the National Farmers Federation, Queensland Farmers Federation, NSW Farmers Federation, Victorian Farmers Federation, AgForce Queensland, Cotton Australia and Energy Charter signatories APA Group, Powerlink Queensland, TransGrid with support from Essential Energy and Jemena.
It was launched at an event with the National Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, Andrew Dyer and NSW Farmers Federation Policy Director, Kathy Rankin.
“Collaboration through the Energy Charter has enabled the NFF the opportunity to directly engage with the energy industry as whole, work effectively to overcoming challenges and create shared outcomes” – Ash Salardini, Chief Economist National Farmers Federation
The Better Practice Guide sets out what landholders and communities can expect when engaging about new or existing energy assets and aims to:
Its primary purpose is to encourage better engagement and outcomes for landholders and communities and applies to a range of different projects and assets including new or existing electricity transmission lines or substations and new or existing gas pipeline assets i.e. transmission lines and gas pipelines.
Gerard Reilly, General Manager Communications, Customer & Engagement, Powerlink Queensland said the Better Practice Guide will be a vital resource for communities and the energy industry.
“The transformation of the power system will see the need to build new transmission infrastructure, particularly to facilitate new renewable energy connections,” Gerard said.
“Our challenge as an industry is to engage early with communities that are impacted by this infrastructure, better understand their concerns and needs and then work with them to minimise impacts and maximise benefits.
“This is a unique resource as it was developed in a collaborative manner with a range of stakeholders including the National Farmers Federation, Queensland, NSW and Victorian Farmers Federation – and key energy industry representatives.”
Underpinning the Better Practice Guide are high-level principles to guide engagement activities and help to create a benchmark for a consistent approach to build better relationships, respect, trust and confidence.
Research was conducted to understand the degree of customer vulnerability, as well as customers’ consumption and sentiment towards energy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the final Wave 4 via survey between July 19th to Aug 2nd 2021 which found:
The snapshot placemat and full report are now available on COVID-19 Consumer Research
Message from the Chair of the CEO Council – Frank Tudor MD at Jemena, Wave 4 CEO Insights Panel online live event, Customer Voice – Thuy Linh Nguyen, Sydney Alliance, 2021 IAP Stakeholder Forum and Consumer Advocacy Support Guide Read More
At face value, more engagement with and about customers seems like an intrinsically good thing. However, if we are not empathetic, ethical, and intentional about the language we use when we engage, we risk doing great harm. This is most critically the case for those customers we classify as ‘facing vulnerable circumstances’—the demographic of focus for Principle 5.
When we put people into categories or segments for business purposes and attach labels like ‘vulnerable’ or ‘disadvantaged’, we risk othering and stigmatising the people we are trying to support. Christine Tan, author of this Talk Poverty article titled I didn’t know I was poor until I applied to college, discusses the impact that organisational categorisation and labelling had on her:
We make a mistake when we assume poor [people] think of themselves as poor. Poverty as a label perpetuates false notions of identity—for those being labeled and for those making decisions on their behalf. … The complexities of who I am, and where I am from, got lost in the translation.
While this example comes from a different sector, the message rings true. The risks associated with use of broad categorisation and labels was also expanded on in a commentary in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Rethinking the use of ‘vulnerable’. In that commentary, author Stephanie Munari and colleagues argued:
Widespread, indiscriminate use of the term ‘vulnerable’ is problematic. When used as a term to describe certain individuals or populations in a nondescript and vague manner, the reader ‘fills in the blanks’ of why a certain individual or group is vulnerable. Being vulnerable could be seen as an intrinsic deficit, inferiority, or inability to protect the individual’s own best interests. This can in turn reduce both perceived and actual agency of the individual or group, depicting them as ‘others’ who are powerless and in need of protection. This may also result in further stigmatisation and exclusion of these individuals and groups.
These issues were the focus of a recent Policy Conversation run by the Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) where I hosted Dr Catherine Robinson from Anglicare Tasmania’s Social Action Research Centre. Dr Robinson posed important questions:
“In our field of social care what does it mean to describe those we serve as ‘vulnerable’? Is this a valuable or even ethical way to characterize those who we may be aiming to assist to flourish in the ways they want and need? Does the label or concept of ‘vulnerable’ actually help those we might apply it to? What are the dangers of thinking about someone as ‘vulnerable’? What could be enabled by determining a person is ‘vulnerable’?”
The resounding answer was, ‘it depends’. It depends on the (lack of) context and specificity you attach to such labels when you use them. It depends on who is using the labels, how they use them, and why. It depends on whether you are labelling people or groups as individually (and inherently) vulnerable or vulnerable because of systemic failures in providing support for their circumstances.
Dr Robinson proposed that whatever language we choose to use, “there is no ‘best’, fully ‘just’, or most ethical way to characterize human need. What matters most is always our efforts to practice care and complexity in understanding the conditions which give shape to human life and need.” She sees value in the term vulnerable in helping us “come to grips with the personal vulnerability a human can experience AND the social conditions that produce vulnerability.”
Dr Robinson sees value in the term vulnerable because it is universal: “We all have inherent vulnerability because we are human and all have capacity for intensified periods of vulnerability.” In the energy business space, this shared experience opens space for empathy between the workers seeking to provide support and the customers who benefit from those support efforts. To build on this empathy to ensure our approach to Principle 5 is ethical, there were a few key take home messages from the Policy Conversation which can guide our practice:
This Better Practice Consumer Advocacy Support Guide was put together by the #BetterTogether Know your Customers and Communities initiative of the Energy Charter led by representatives from APA and Essential Energy and supported by AGIG, Endeavour Energy, Energy Queensland, Jemena, Horizon Power, Powerlink Queensland, TransGrid and Energy Networks Australia.
During early 2021, signatories reviewed the Uniting Report “Resourcing Consumer Engagement” and shared insights from individual businesses on the support that they individually provided to consumer advocates. They also looked more broadly for examples of better practice both in the energy sector and beyond. In mid-2021, the #BetterTogether initiative ran a human centred design workshop with advocates to discuss what works, what doesn’t work and what were the opportunities to do better to support consumer advocates.
This Better Practice Guide summarises the outcomes of this work. It does not purport to be a prescriptive list of obligations, but rather a “better practice guide” with a focus on encouraging better practice across Energy Charter signatories and beyond. The Guide sets out five better practice principles for supporting consumer advocacy:
It’s called a “Better Practice Guide” in recognition that we can always do better, and we are committed to continual improvement.
Supporting robust consumer advocacy is an important commitment under the Energy Charter (Principle 1.4) and was reinforced by a recommendation from the Independent Accountability Panel in its 2020 Report Recommendation 13: ‘Work with policy makers and market bodies to implement a way for consumer advocacy to be better resourced.’
“A Better Practice Guide of itself isn’t a silver bullet. It’s the discussions that Energy Charter signatories have had with consumer advocates and each other to encourage better support for consumer advocacy in the creation of the Guide that will move the dial. Culture change takes time. Tools like this nudge us in the right direction of authentic partnerships between advocates and industry.” Sabiene Heindl, Executive Director, The Energy Charter
