Electricity and gas codes, guidelines and policies

The Energy Retail Code of Practice sets out the rules electricity and gas retailers must follow when selling energy to Victorian consumers. It covers customer contracts, billing disputes, the Payment Difficulty Framework and what must be included in bills.

To help industry and consumers understand their obligations, guidelines and guidance notes can be found on this page.

The Electricity Distribution Code of Practice regulates distributing and connecting electricity to Victorian consumers so that it is undertaken in a safe, efficient and reliable manner. It also regulates the planned and unplanned interruptions of electricity, the disconnection of electricity to customers and the disconnection or interruption of supply to life support customers.

The Gas Distribution System Code of Practice sets out the minimum standards for the operation and use of the Victorian gas distribution system. It includes requirements for connection and augmentation, disconnection and reconnection as well as metering provisions, curtailment, dispute resolution and deemed distribution contracts.

The Land Access Code of Practice regulates the rules and processes that transmission companies must follow when accessing, or seeking to access, private land using statutory powers under the Electricity Industry Act 2000. It also regulates the information transmission companies must provide prior to arranging access in an alternate way to using their statutory powers. 

In Victoria, distributors own electricity metering equipment. This is different to the rest of the National Electricity Market. The Electricity Customer Metering Code of Practice regulates the non-technical provisions and customer obligations relating to metering that is not regulated by the National Energy Rules or the national Metrology Procedure. 

The Electricity Customer Transfer Code of Practice facilitates and regulates parts of the process by which electricity customers can choose to change retailer or be transferred to another retailer. The data access rules and the transfer rules contained in this Code of Practice operate in conjunction with the National Electricity Rules and the national retail transfer procedures. 

The Public Lighting Code regulates the provision of public lighting by specifying obligations and minimum standards for public lighting providers and public lighting customers. The Code also includes information on how to manage public lighting assets and the related guaranteed service levels and payments, installing or altering public lighting, providing public lighting data and billing and dispute resolution.