Equity and Vulnerable Customers

As part of our Regulatory Proposal 'Reset' Engagement for 2025-2030, we are holding a series of 'Focussed Conversations' workshops with our stakeholders and customers to engage deeply on priority topics and better understand their current needs and future priorities for electricity.

Click here to read the final outputs and recommendations to the People's Panel for this topic.

Please note: Our expenditure, revenue and price forecasts will continue to be refined as we go through the stages of our consumer engagement process and also incorporate the latest economic conditions. Therefore, the forecasts presented in the Focussed Conversations may vary from those that will be taken to our People's Panel in February 2023.

Workshop 1

Who did we engage?

The first workshop on this topic was held online on Thursday, 28 July and was attended by 26 external stakeholders representing a range of community and social organisations, customers and advocates along with SA Power Networks staff members.

Members of our Community Advisory Board (CAB) also attended the meeting.

What did we engage on?

Participants were asked to consider:

• how we could improve equity and better support our vulnerable customers
• where should we focus our efforts
• the level of support we should provide
• if we had provided the right information to help make these decisions

The workshop saw discussions focused on a range of key ideas and initiatives identified through our engagement to date, including solar as a service, community batteries, community energy fund, vulnerable customer assistance program, energy advisory services and a review of life support customers definition and service provision.

What did we learn?

Following the Focussed Conversation, participants were asked to complete an online survey to indicate which of the potential customer outcomes discussed would have the greatest impact on our vulnerable customers and therefore should be explored more in our second Focussed Conversation in September.

Possible initiatives that received the most support included:

• Vulnerable Customer Assistance Program (energy efficiency, support during extended outages, small grants program)
• Community Batteries
• Solar for Renters

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30; Equity and Vulnerable customers focussed conversation. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the presentation from our workshop.

View the video recording of our session here.

Our workshop report is available summarising the session's details and key findings.

Workshop 2

Who did we engage?

The second workshop on this topic was held on Thursday, 8 September and was attended by 23 external stakeholders representing a range of community and social organisations, customers and advocates along with SA Power Networks staff members.

Members of our Community Advisory Board (CAB) also attended the meeting.

What did we engage on?

At our first workshop, a number of possible programs were presented that proposed to improve equity and assist vulnerable customers.

The programs lined and discussed were -

• Solar for renters

• Community batteries and community energy fund

• Tariffs - basic network tariff, social tariff and export tariff

• Vulnerable customer assistance program

• Energy advisory and customer education

• Disconnections - knock before you disconnect

• Life support customers

• Claims process

Following the outcomes of the first workshop and the feedback received from the participants, six programs were identified for further consideration as part of this focussed conversation.

During our second Focussed Conversation on this topic, participants were asked to indicate their level of support for each proposed program and vote their preferences.

Workshop documents

Participants attending the workshop were provided with a Pre-read participant pack, providing them with a background to the SA Power Networks' Reset 2025-30; Equity and Vulnerable customers focussed conversation. Click here to access the participant pre-read pack.

Click here to view a copy of the presentation from our workshop.

Click here to watch a video recording of our second focussed conversation on this topic.

Click here to view a copy of the workshop outcomes and preferred investment options from this session.