In 2022 we established a Customer Advisory Panel (CAP). The purpose of the CAP was to be an advisor to us on engaging with customers and stakeholders and provide feedback on our investment plans for the next 5 years. The CAP is independent from our us and comprises 11 members representing a broad spectrum of our community.

The most important role of the CAP is to advise us on our regulatory proposal which represents our investment plans for 2026 to 2031 and ensure it is reflective of needs and preferences of our communities.

In January 2025, we released our final proposal for consideration by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). This followed our draft proposal which was released in September 2024. The final proposal built on the draft and incorporated further engagement with our communities and detailed feedback from the CAP (including the recommendations set out in their report on our draft proposal).

The CAP has now reviewed our final proposal submitted to the AER and published a report that includes a series of recommendations for further consideration.

What the CAP told us

The CAP is highly complementary of our regulatory proposal. They also support the effectiveness of our engagement program that underwrote the regulatory proposal. They note the regulatory proposal demonstrated a clear connection between what customers and our communities have said, and the proposals submitted.

The report provides support for the Regional and Rural Supply Program, Customer Assistance package and the commitment to develop a Vulnerability Strategy. It also supports the proposed on-going commitment to engage with our community and the continued emphasis placed on affordability. Finally, they recognise the importance placed on the additional community support officers, introducing an Innovation Fund and the need for further investment in vegetation management.

They have identified some areas for further consideration by us. These include:

• increasing engagement with commercial and industrial customers
  
• longer term planning to improve services for regional and rural communities
• provision of a clear governance framework for the Innovation Fund
• continued review of the customer support officers to ensure successful implementation. Additionally, to partner with local community groups to amplify outcomes
• development of a Vulnerability Strategy in collaboration with the CAP, focusing on where the business is uniquely placed to have the greatest impact. 

What we’re doing

We’re reviewing all the CAP's recommendations with a view of how they can be factored into our future investment proposals.

Next steps

To get involved and have your say, visit the Regulatory Reset project page and click +Follow at the top of the page to receive email updates.