Customer consultative committee
Understanding customer needs has always been an important factor in the development of AusNet’s plans. What has emerged in recent years is the growing need for distribution businesses to build direct relationships with end-user customers, rather than relying on other parties, such as retailers, to manage these relationships. This has been largely driven by unprecedented changes affecting the energy industry. This includes changing customer behaviour in relation to their usage and needs, availability of new and alternative technologies and rising costs. In the face of such uncertainty, AusNet recognises that customer preferences and choices play a critical role in the future of our business.
As a result, there is a need to undertake ongoing and genuine customer engagement as a business-as-usual activity across the business, on a broad range of issues relevant to customers. This enables us to understand customer views and concerns, so the voice of the customer can be reflected in the way networks are designed and services are delivered. In acknowledgment of this, in 2016, AusNet established a Customer Consultative Committee (CCC) that provides an ongoing forum in which our plans and a range of customer issues can be discussed with a select group of community and customer representatives, often with expert knowledge in their relevant fields.
The purpose of the AusNet CCC is to gain actionable customer insights to inform decision making and execution of our strategy. The Committee plays an important advisory and ’sounding-board’ role to AusNet.
This is to ensure that we are meeting customer needs in everything we do. The CCC has guided our decision-making, so we are:
- responsive to changing needs and wants in areas such as price, products and services
- informed by our customer preferences and views
- considerate of things that impact our customers, including vulnerable customers.
Membership
Membership of the CCC is made up of a cross-section of representatives from a broad range of segments including customer interest and community groups. The group is also made up of AusNet representatives, including members of our executive team.Current members
- Australian Energy Council
- Clean Energy Council
- Energy Users Association of Australia
- Renew
- St Vincent de Paul Society
- The Australian Industry Group
- Goulburn Murray Climate Alliance
Independent Observers
- Energy and Water Ombudsman (EWOV)
The committee meets monthly, with extra meetings as required for specific issues.
