The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has officially been untethered from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and is now a standalone Non-Corporate Commonwealth Entity (NCCE).
The AER has always made independent regulatory decisions, and has its own chair, board, and funding, however, the ACCC has been responsible for staffing and corporate services under the legislation that established the AER.
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Now, as an NCCE, those responsibilities sit directly with the AER.
AER chair Clare Savage said the change was a natural next step, but won’t change the AER’s responsibilities or its focus on consumers.
“Today is a milestone for the AER, but it is not a change in direction. Our focus remains on consumers, making sure they are better off now and in the future,” Savage said.
“Today’s change reflects the AER’s established role in Australia’s energy system. It gives us direct responsibility for the people and operations that support our work, while preserving the independent decision-making that has always been central to our role.”
The AER will continue to regulate energy networks, monitor wholesale and retail energy markets, and administer key consumer protections, including the Default Market Offer.
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The separation of the AER from the ACCC was implemented through the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Australian Energy Regulator Separation) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent from the Governor General on 6 November.
