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	<title>VaasaEtt Global Energy Think Tank &#187; Regulation and Competition</title>
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	<description>value-to-all through Interactive Community and Collaborative Projects</description>
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		<title>Consumer Information Requirements for the Energy Retail Market in SA &#8211; Draft Decision</title>
		<link>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/09/consumer-information-requirements-for-the-energy-retail-market-in-sa-draft-decision/</link>
		<comments>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/09/consumer-information-requirements-for-the-energy-retail-market-in-sa-draft-decision/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:32:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Customer Loyalty and Switching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulation and Competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer loyalty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer switching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.vaasaett.com/?p=5348</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The energy retail sector in South Australia is contestable, meaning that all electricity and
gas consumers are able to enter into retail market contracts with a licensed retailer of their
choice. Consumers play an important role in encouraging the efficient operation of
markets. Through their choices, consumers encourage businesses to compete and
innovate.
To promote competitive and fair market conduct in the energy retail market, the
Commission must ensure that its regulatory framework establishes and maintains a
market environment in which consumers are not only aware of their ability to choose their
electricity and/or gas retailers; they must also be confident to actively engage with and
participate in those markets.
An important factor for facilitating the ongoing competitiveness of the energy retail market
is ensuring that consumers have access to relevant information necessary to allow them
to actively participate in the market.
In an effectively competitive market, the Commission would expect to see energy retailers
actively producing and providing market information that allows consumers to readily
understand the energy products they have on offer. The Commission notes, that contrary
to this expectation, some retailers have demonstrated reluctance to make key energy
product information, such as the prices and price structures of its energy products,
publicly available. While it is widely accepted that electricity and gas are “lowinvolvement”
products, it does not mean that information should not be available to those
consumers who do seek it out.
Some retailers currently licensed to operate in South Australia have recently observed
that while consumers are unlikely to accept a higher price than the standing offer when
they switch to a new retailer, once they have switched, consumers appear to accept
increases which result in their tariff being above the standing offer tariff. While this may
be a rational decision in light of the consumer’s preferences and the cost of search, the
Commission is concerned that it may also reflect the complexity of the energy market and
consumers’ inability to protect their own interests.
The Commission’s regulatory response to overcome the inherent information asymmetries
in the energy retail market must balance the need to make accurate and accessible
market information available, while recognising that providing irrelevant information can be
detrimental to the overall welfare of consumers.
It is the purpose of this review to understand South Australian consumers’ information
needs to ensure that the Commission is, through its regulatory regime, providing the best
opportunities for consumers to access the benefits of the competitive electricity and gas
retail markets.
The specific objectives of this review are to:
 determine the nature, form, timing and availability of market information required by
South Australian consumers to allow them to confidently engage with the market
and make an informed decision about their electricity and gas arrangements;
 determine whether or not the information requirements of South Australian
consumers differ on the basis of their stage of behaviour (level of engagement with
the market); and
 propose amendments to the Commission’s regulatory framework consistent with the
expressed needs of South Australian consumers.
The Commission engaged a market research company to elicit the requirements,
expectations and preferences for information for both residential and small business
consumers within South Australia. The findings of the market research highlight the
importance of ensuring that the Commission’s consumer protection framework allows
consumers to easily access price information and have confidence in the accuracy and
comparability of that information.
On the basis of the preferences for market information expressed by consumers through
the market research, and weaknesses identified with the current price disclosure
arrangements, the Commission is proposing a series of amendments to its consumer
protection framework. The Commission’s proposed regulatory response is comprised of
three main areas:
 increasing energy price transparency;
 enhancing the Commission’s price comparison services; and
 reviewing the Commission’s consumer information website.
The nature of the Commission’s regulatory response should be seen as complementary to
the Commission’s new approach to setting standing contract prices for AGL SA. As
efficient market outcomes result from the interaction of suppliers and consumers, the
Commission must ensure that its consumer protection framework allows consumers to
confidently engage with the energy retail market in the future.
Comments on this Draft Decision paper should be provided to the Commission by close of
business 5 October 2010. Following its consideration of these submissions, the
Commission will prepare a Final Decision (and amended regulatory instruments) for
release in November 2010.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.escosa.sa.gov.au/library/100906-ConsumerInformationRequirements-EnergyRetailMarket-DraftDecision.pdf">Click here to download this report</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/09/consumer-information-requirements-for-the-energy-retail-market-in-sa-draft-decision/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Monitoring the Development of Energy Retail Competition in South Australia and Consumer Preference for Market Contract Information</title>
		<link>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/09/monitoring-the-development-of-energy-retail-competition-in-south-australia-and-consumer-preference-for-market-contract-information/</link>
		<comments>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/09/monitoring-the-development-of-energy-retail-competition-in-south-australia-and-consumer-preference-for-market-contract-information/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:27:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Sean</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Customer Loyalty and Switching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Knowledge Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulation and Competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer loyalty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer switching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.vaasaett.com/?p=5346</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Commission engaged Colmar Brunton Social Research to elicit South Australian consumers views on the requirements, expectations and preferences for information for the residential and small business energy retail markets.  The findings of the market research highlight the importance of ensuring that consumer protection frameworks provide consumers with easily accessible price information and confidence in the accuracy and comparability of that information.  Through this market research, the Commission wanted to determine the nature of the market information required by consumers and whether or not these requirements differed based on consumers' demonstrated switching behaviour.

The Commission is today releasing a copy of Colmar Brunton's Final Report to allow stakeholders to consider the findings of the consumer survey alongside the Commission's Draft Decision on Consumer Information Requirements for the Energy Retail Market in South Australia.  Submissions on the Commission's Draft Decision must be provided to the Commission by COB 5 October 2010.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.escosa.sa.gov.au/library/100806-ConsumerPreferenceColmarBruntonReportFinal.pdf">Click here to download this report</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/09/monitoring-the-development-of-energy-retail-competition-in-south-australia-and-consumer-preference-for-market-contract-information/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Selvitys sähkö- ja maakaasumarkkinoiden kehityksestä sekä sähkö- ja maakaasumarkkinalakien soveltamisesta saaduista kokemuksista</title>
		<link>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/03/selvitys-sahko-ja-maakaasumarkkinoiden-kehityksesta-seka-sahko-ja-maakaasumarkkinalakien-soveltamisesta-saaduista-kokemuksista/</link>
		<comments>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/03/selvitys-sahko-ja-maakaasumarkkinoiden-kehityksesta-seka-sahko-ja-maakaasumarkkinalakien-soveltamisesta-saaduista-kokemuksista/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:09:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Customer Loyalty and Switching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Distribution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prices and Pricing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulation and Competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retail]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.vaasaett.com/?p=3580</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tämä tutkimusraportti tarkastelee sähkö- ja maakaasumarkkinalakien vuoden 2005 alussa voimaan tulleiden muutosten vaikutuksia markkinoiden toimintaan ja kehittymiseen, alan toimijoihin sekä hinnoitteluun ja asiakkaiden asemaan. Raportissa yhdistetään aikaisempaan tietoon laajaa uutta empiiristä tutkimusaineistoa, joka on kerätty kevään ja kesän 2006 aikana. Vaikka lakimuutosten vaikutusten yksiselitteistä arviointia ovat vaikeuttaneet tarkastelujakson lyhyys sekä energiamarkkinoilla viime vuosina koetut lakimuutoksia suuremmat muutokset, raportti tarjoaa mielenkiintoisia havaintoja ja selkeitä johtopäätöksiä liittyen sähkö- ja maakaasumarkkinoiden toimintaan ja lakimuutosten vaikutuksiin.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3581" src="http://www.vaasaett.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/KTM4.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="284" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.vaasaett.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/KTM4-Elec-and-Gas-Law-Effect-FIN.pdf">Download this Report</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/03/selvitys-sahko-ja-maakaasumarkkinoiden-kehityksesta-seka-sahko-ja-maakaasumarkkinalakien-soveltamisesta-saaduista-kokemuksista/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Analysing the relationship between wholesale and end-user prices in the Nordic electricity market</title>
		<link>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/01/analysing-the-relationship-between-wholesale-and-end-user-prices-in-the-nordic-electricity-market/</link>
		<comments>http://www.vaasaett.com/2010/01/analysing-the-relationship-between-wholesale-and-end-user-prices-in-the-nordic-electricity-market/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:06:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Philip</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Prices and Pricing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulation and Competition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wholesale and Trading]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.vaasaett.com/?p=3441</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Efficient pricing in a deregulated market means prices which closely reflect the cost of obtaining electricity
in the wholesale market. This research report analyses and explains the relationship between wholesale
prices (especially Spot Prices) and end-user prices for residential, industrial and commercial users in the
Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian electricity markets. The report primarily analyses the closeness of
wholesale and end-user price patterns (the primary tracking period is 1998–2003, focusing especially
closely on Finland and the period 2002–2003).]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.vaasaett.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/KTM-3-Nordic-Prices-ENG.pdf">Download This Report</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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