Turning up the heat on consumers:

This submission forms the response to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) draft decision on Jemena Gas Network Ltd’s (Jemena) access arrangements proposal for the period 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2015.

The submission comments on the following issues:

• The impact of the access arrangement proposal on retail customers.
• Forecast capital expenditure.
• Estimate annual revenue requirements.

The submission states that revised proposal from Jemena, if accepted by the AER, would result in significant increases to household gas bills. The submission indicates that it is in the interest of low-income and vulnerable households that the AER consider the impacts of increased costs as it assesses the revised proposal. The submission recommends that the forecast capital expenditure and revenue requirements proposed by Jemena be rigorously assessed to ensure that they are efficient and absolutely necessary. The submission also recommends that the implications for retail consumers of the AER final decision are clearly detailed in the decision, and in all information publicly released by the AER regarding the final decision.