Information for customers experiencing family violence

The Economic Regulation Authority has approved new protections for gas customers. Our Final Decision on the review of the Compendium of Gas Customer Licence Obligations was published in April 2024. The Compendium regulates the conduct of retailers and distributors that supply gas to residential and small business customers.

The amended Compendium introduces new protections for customers experiencing family violence, such as privacy protections, a nine-month moratorium on disconnections, and a requirement for retailers to have a family violence policy. The family violence policy must cover:

• Staff training on how to recognise and assist customers affected by family violence.
• The protection of customer account information from third parties.
• Customer support procedures to avoid the need for customers repeatedly discussing or disclosing their experience of family violence.
• The need to assess the possible effect on customers before initiating debt recovery processes.
• Consideration of customer circumstances before disconnecting their service for non-payment.

Note: The family violence policies listed above are current at the date of publishing on the ERA website. The most recent copy can always be found on the retailer’s website.