Accumulation meter
| The type of meter installed at most household premises that measures total (cumulative) electricity consumption.To measure electricity consumption over a period of time (eg. over the billing period) it is necessary to subtract the previous meter reading from the current meter reading.
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Authorised reticulator
| A company authorised by the Minister for Energy to own, control, manage and operate a distribution pipeline for natural gas.There are six authorised reticulators in NSW. They are: AGL Gas Networks Ltd; Albury Gas Company Ltd; Allgas Energy Ltd; Great Southern Energy Gas Networks Pty Ltd; Integral Energy Gas Pty Ltd; Wesfarmers Kleenheat Gas Pty Ltd.
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Contestable
| Another way to explain competition in the energy market. Can be used to refer to customers or the retail market as a whole when describing how retail suppliers compete to win the business of those customers on commercial terms. If any energy company can compete for your business, then you are contestable.
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Controlled load
| Where the electricity supplier can remotely turn 'on' and 'off' the power by sending an electronic signal down the electricity line. The most common example is off-peak hot water.
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Deregulation
| Describes the changes to the regulatory environment, which opened the energy market to competition or third party access to provide customers with choice and customer protection.
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Distribution network service provider
| A company licensed by the Minister for Energy and responsible for maintaining and operating the poles and wires that are used to deliver electricity to customers' premises within the geographic distribution district.There are four Government-owned distribution network service providers in NSW: Australian Inland Energy and Water; Country Energy; EnergyAustralia; and Integral Energy.These companies may also be referred to as local network service providers.
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Delivery Point Identifier (DPI)
| A unique number allocated by the network operator to each gas meter at each premises. Most DPIs have 11 digits. The DPI is printed on the gas bill and must be quoted to the supplier of your choice should you wish to change supplier.
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Embedded network customer
| Some electricity customers are not directly connected to the distributor's network. They may be connected to a separate network that takes supply from a local network service provider's network and are resupplied electricity through the separate network.Customers supplied in this way are referred to as embedded network customers.
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Embedded network operator
| A separate network that takes supply from a local network service provider's network and resupplies electricity through the separate network to customers.This is referred to as an embedded network because it is embedded within the distributor's network. An example of an embedded network is a residential (or caravan) park.The operator of an embedded network is exempt from holding a NSW distribution licence and a retail supply licence.
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Energy Account Payment Assistance (EAPA)
| A scheme to assist customers facing financial hardship to pay their energy accounts. It is administered by charitable organisations and funded by the NSW Government.
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Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON)
| An independent ombudsman to whom small retail customers (those using less than 160,000 kWh of electricity (approx $16,000) or 1,000 gigajoules of gas (approx $11,000) annually can take a dispute.The Ombudsman deals with disputes that cannot be satisfactorily resolved in the first instance through the retail supplier's own dispute resolution processes. It is a free service for small retail customers.
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Exempt network operator
| The operator of a network who is exempt from holding a NSW distribution licence, such as residential park operators.
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Exempt retail supplier
| A person that that sells electricity to customers but is not required to hold a NSW retail supplier licence, such as residential park operators.
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Gas Market Company
| A private company established and owned by participants in the NSW gas industry. It administers the business rules and retail market business systems to support full retail competition in the natural gas market in NSW and ACT.
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Gigajoule
| 1,000 megaJoules [See MegaJoules]. An average household in NSW uses around 23.1 GJ per year.
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Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART)
| An independent regulator established by the NSW Government to regulate both the price of the standard supply of electricity and the charge for using the electricity distribution network.IPART also regulates both the price of the standard supply of gas and the charge for using the gas reticulation network.IPART also monitors licence compliance and authorisation compliance for retail suppliers, distribution network service providers and network operators.
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Interval meter
| Measures electricity consumption in short intervals (for example, each half-hour) and stores the measurements in a register in the meter.The interval meter can be read manually using an instrument or, if the meter is fitted with a communication link, it can be read remotely.
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kilowatt hour (kWh)
| A unit to measure the consumption of electricity. An average household in NSW uses 7,400 kWh of electricity a year.
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Local network service provider
| See Distribution network service provider
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MegaJoule (MJ)
| A unit of energy used to measure gas consumption. An average household in NSW uses 23,100 MJ of gas a year.
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Megawatt hour (MWh)
| One thousand kilowatt hours = one Megawatt hour1,000 kWh = 1 MWh
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Marketing Code of Conduct
| A Code established by the NSW Government that retail suppliers must comply with in their dealings with customers.
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Metrology Procedure
| The set of rules that specify the type of meter customers need and how energy consumption will be measured. This is so retail suppliers can pay generators for the electricity they buy to sell to their customers.
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Ministry of Energy and Utilities
| The NSW Government department that administers the Acts and regulations applying to electricity, gas and water supply.
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National Metering Identifier (NMI)
| A unique 11 digit number allocated by the distribution network service provider to each electricity metering installation at each premises.The NMI is printed on the electricity bill and is quoted to the retailer of your choice should you wish to change retail supplier.
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NEMMCO (National Electricity Market Management Company)
| The company that operates the national electricity market across NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland in accordance with the National Electricity Code.
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Network operator
| An organisation authorised by the Minister for Energy and responsible for maintaining and operating the reticulation system used to deliver gas to customers' premises within the geographic area.
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Retail supplier
| An organisation licensed to sell gas and electricity to NSW customers.
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Small retail customer
| A customer who uses less than 160 megawatt hours of electricity or 1,000 gigajoules of gas a year.
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Standard retail supplier
| Standard retail suppliers have a geographic area within which they are required to: (1) arrange the connection of a standard gas or electricity supply to customers' premises; (2) at the customer's request, supply customers with gas or electricity on standard terms and conditions set out in a standard form customer contract and at prices regulated by the IPART.There are four standard retail suppliers of electricity in NSW: Australian Inland Energy and Water; Country Energy; EnergyAustralia; Integral Energy.There are five standard retail suppliers of natural gas in NSW: AGL Retail Energy Ltd; Country Energy; Integral Energy; Origin Energy LPG Ltd; Allgas Energy Ltd.
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Standard supply
| The supply to which all NSW small retail electricity and gas customers, whose premises are connected to a distribution system or network, are entitled.If the small retail customer does not elect to negotiate a supply contract, either with a new supplier or their existing supplier, the default supply is standard supply.Customers who have negotiated a supply contract but wish to return to their original supply arrangements are entitled to apply for standard supply from their standard retail supplier.
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Transmission network operator
| The operator of the high voltage electricity network that conveys electricity from power stations to substations feeding into the distributor's network. In NSW, TransGrid is the transmission network operator.
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Type 4 meter
| An interval meter connected to a communication line (usually a telephone line) that allows it to be read from a remote location.
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Type 5 meter
| An interval meter allows the reader to stores information in a device that can be downloaded to a computer.
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Type 6 meter
| An accumulation meter allows the reader to store the information in a device that can be downloaded to a computer.
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Type 7 meter
| Refers to cases where there is not a meter to measure electricity consumption, for example streetlights. Consumption is measured by engineering calculations.
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