Have your say: Jemena releases Draft Pricing and Services Plan

Energy infrastructure company, Jemena, has today released its Draft Pricing and Services Plan (the plan) for its electricity network in north-west Melbourne. The plan is open for feedback until 16 September 2024.

The plan outlines how Jemena will manage its electricity network – which services more than 380,000 customers across north-west Melbourne – for the financial years covering 2026-31, and the role it will play in Australia’s energy transition.

After reviewing and incorporating public feedback, the plan will be submitted to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) before taking effect from 1 July 2026.

Jemena’s General Manager of Regulation, Ana Dijanosic, said Jemena had engaged with a diverse range of customers over 18 months.

“Energy affordability and cost-of-living continue to be the top priority for many of our customers,” said Ms Dijanosic. “Our customers also told us that maintaining the reliability of the electricity network and increasing resilience to withstand and recover from extreme weather events were important priorities.”

“Listening to and understanding our customers’ needs has been critical to shaping our Draft Plan. Throughout our engagement process we sought feedback from a diverse range of residential, large commercial, industrial, small, and medium sized business customers.”

As part of the Draft Pricing and Services Plan, Jemena will:

• Ensure all customers receive an average two per cent reduction in distribution charges during the next regulatory period (excluding inflation).
• Connect over 33,300 new residential customers and 2,585 businesses in north-west Melbourne.
• Introduce new tariff structures that encourage better network utilisation and improve price equity between solar and non-solar customers.
• Introduce new digital technologies to improve electricity system management and enable new sustainable products and services.
• Upgrade systems to keep customers better informed with near real-time information at times they need it the most.
• Develop a new portal to provide tailored information based on customer preferences and language needs with energy information.
• Deliver a broad-based zone-substation redevelopment program to maintain the current reliability levels.
• Build large-scale assets to serve new large customers such as data centres and hospitals.
• Replace fleet vehicles with those that are more environmentally friendly to increase the sustainability of our operations.

“We are now inviting our electricity customers to provide feedback on the plan by completing an online survey. Anyone who completes the survey will go into the draw to win an eftpos gift card valued at $1000,” said Ms Dijanosic.

“Ensuring our customers’ feedback is taken into account every step of the way is crucial in developing a plan that truly reflects the needs of our customers now and over the next five years.”

The Draft Pricing and Services Plan is now open for feedback until 16 September 2024.

To view the plan or complete the survey visit: www.gridtalk.com.au/draftPlan