Issues, Options and Discussion Papers
Previously Consulted On
Minor Amendments to the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008
Gas Industry Co has released a consultation document proposing minor amendments to the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008.
Submissions received
Switching: Operations and Compliance
The purpose of this discussion paper is to put forward, for industry comment, minor operational amendments and clarifications to the registry and switching arrangements and the associated compliance process.
Submissions received
Consultation on Exemption Application under the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008
Submissions were invited on exemptions which would allow five business days for retailers to respond to GNW and GAC notices. This would be a continuation of the status quo under exemptions granted in 2008 which expired at the end of February.
Application of Gas Governance Arangements to Private Networks
The existing rules for reconciliation and switching make no distinction between open-access and private networks.
Gas Industry Co commissioned a paper by Dr Geoff Bertram to discuss how gas governance arrangements should be applied to private networks. Submissions were sought on the paper in April 2009, prior to which a workshop was held on 31 March (click here to view the slide presentation). The paper and industry participants submissions in response are set out below.
Gas Industry Co has now also prepared an analysis of submissions that discusses the conclusions of Dr Bertram’s report and considers the responses of submitters. The analysis of submissions can be viewed at the link set out below.
Submissions received
Consultation on Exemption Application under the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008
A transitional exemption application under the Switching Rules has been received from Nova Gas Ltd. An exemption until 30 September 2009 was sought from the application of rule 41 to consumer installations on bypass networks. Rule 41 requires that distributors enter ICP information into the registry prior to go-live. The alternative arrangement proposed is that all consumer installations on each bypass network are represented by a single notional ICP. During the term of the exemption Nova Gas propose that the substantive issues relating to the inclusion of bypass networks under both the Switching Rules and the Downstream Reconciliation Rules should be examined.
Submissions received
Consultation: Revised Determinations under the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008
Author: Malay Shah
Submissions and feedback were invited on draft version 1.2 of the Switching Determinations. The draft can be downloaded below, and the proposed changes from the existing Switching Determinations v1.1 are viewable using the MS Word track changes feature.
Please note:
- Explanations of GAN acceptance and GNW request reason codes have been incorporated for consistency
- Several of the proposed changes are subject to compliance determinations or exemption decisions and are commented accordingly (in particular, note the updates to Attachment 2 (PR-040 report) to reflect the retailer 2 to 5 day GNW/GNC response timeframe exemption if granted)
Submissions received
Transitional Exemptions under the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008
Author: Malay Shah
Submissions were invited on the two transitional exemptions addressed in this paper under the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008. A consultation paper on these applications can been viewed or downloaded here:
Submissions received
Determinations by the Industry Body (Gas Industry Co) under the Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008
Author: Bas Walker and Malay Shah
The Gas (Switching Arrangements) Rules 2008 delegate the determination of specific technical details to support the implementation of the switching rules and the gas registry to Gas Industry Co as the industry body. Although consultation is formally required in only some cases, Gas Industry Co decided to consult on the proposed Determinations in their entirety. The consultation paper can be viewed or downloaded by clicking here:
Submissions received
Discussion Paper – Revised Proposal for Allocation of Switching and Registry Costs
Author: Nicole MacFarlane and Lee Wilson
The Government Policy Statement on Gas Governance ("GPS") invites Gas Industry Co to recommend arrangements, including regulations and rules where appropriate, for the standardisation and upgrading of protocols allowing customers to switch between retailers, so that barriers to competition are minimised. Following extensive development and consultation, Gas Industry Co issued a Decision Paper (PDF 863KB) in January 2007 setting out the decisions that the Board had taken in respect of progressing the development of a set of switching rules, including a central gas registry and associated compliance arrangements. Although the Board has confirmed its overall approach and intends to recommend the arrangements to the Minister of Energy, in response to submissions received on the decision paper, it has reconsidered issues associated with the allocation of switching and registry costs.
The purpose of this discussion paper was to:
- set out Gas Industry Co's review of the switching and registry cost allocation issues;
- describe Gas Industry Co's revised proposal for allocating these costs; and
- seek further stakeholder input on the revised proposal prior to finalising the recommendations to the Minister of Energy.
Gas Industry Co considered the submissions and made recommendations to the Minister of Energy in 31 May 2007.
Submissions received
Decision Paper on Switching and Compliance
Author: Gael Webster, Rod Treder and Lee Wilson
The Government Policy Statement on Gas Governance invites Gas Industry Co to recommend arrangements for the standardisation and upgrading of protocols relating to customer switching, so that barriers to customer switching are minimised. The main purpose of this decision paper was to explain the decisions that the Gas Industry Co Board has taken in respect of progressing the development of a set of switching rules, a central gas registry, and associated compliance regulations. The decision paper describes the process Gas Industry Co has followed in addressing customer switching issues and related compliance and enforcement arrangements which culminated in two statements of proposal for switching arrangements for the New Zealand Gas Industry. Submissions made on those Proposals, and Gas Industry Co's response to those submissions, are covered in the decision paper. Further stakeholder input was sought on three particular issues, including whether the final drafts of the switching rules and compliance regulations accurately implement the arrangements. Gas Industry Co considered the submissions and made recommendations to the Minister of Energy on 31st May 2007. The decision paper can be viewed or downloaded from here:
Submissions received
Discussion Paper - Mechanisms to Implement a Central Registry
Author: Rebecca Cottrell
The purpose of this Discussion Paper was to seek feedback and input from the industry on Gas Industry Co’s analysis of the alternatives available to implement a Central Registry.
Submissions received
Cost Benefit Analysis Consultation – Switching and Registry
Author: Paul Mitchell
The purpose of this consultation paper was to present the findings of an independent cost benefit analysis that had been commissioned by Gas Industry Co regarding options for switching arrangements for the New Zealand gas industry. Gas Industry Co invited submissions from stakeholders as to whether they agree with the assessment of this paper or whether there are additional factors that need to be taken into account prior to a formal recommendation on this subject being made. The cost benefit analysis consultation paper can be viewed or downloaded from here:
Submissions received
Options for Switching Arrangements for the New Zealand Gas Industry
Author: Simon Brett
The purpose of this consultation paper was to seek input from stakeholders on Gas Industry Co’s analysis of the issues facing switching arrangements in the New Zealand gas industry, the options considered to be available to address these issues and Gas Industry Co’s preferred option.