Gas Watch 74 - AGL fails regulatory obligations.
Date: 09-Sep-09
Author: Hunter Valley Protection Alliance
AGL fails regulatory obligations.
- AGL 'forced electricity prices higher' - says SMH.
- AGL accused of "price gouging" by the ACCC - says the ABC.
- Most needy residents have been the victims of appalling bungling by AGL - says the Herald Sun.
And these reports all in the one day.
These are the reported actions of a company which is asking us to trust it in relation to its intention to drill through our groundwater to access coal seam methane gas, risking the economic future of our part of the Hunter Valley.
How can anyone have confidence that this company will do the right thing in the Hunter Valley when this is how it is behaving nationally? In fact, with this sort of corporate behaviour you would have to expect problems, errors, lack of transparency - the sort of things we are experiencing with AGL now.
The Herald Sun reports: "The ESC has ordered AGL to clean up its act, with the company to provide monthly reports on its efforts to clear an enormous billing backlog.
The ESC audit, conducted by accounting giant KPMG, found AGL failed 37 of 41 performance indicators. AGL also failed 12 of its 22 regulatory obligations, including bills and complaint handling."
The ABC reports: "Electricity supplier AGL has been accused of price gouging in South Australia.
AGL has been criticised by the Australian Energy Regulator after continued attempts to ''exercise market power'' by forcing the electricity price sharply higher earlier this year and in 2008.
Even so, the regulator doubted whether existing legislation is strong enough to handle these cases since it is up to the competition watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, to pursue them under section 46 of the Trade Practices Act.
Energy Minister Pat Conlon says if Mr Willett thinks AGL is price gouging he should do something about it, because that is his job.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports:
AGL 'forced electricity prices higher' earlier this year and in 2008."
You wouldn't want to have too many shares in AGL Energy at the moment, would you, with what appear to be inherent, ingrained problems with its management.
Save our groundwater. Save our environment. Save our kids.
Don't let AGL Energy onto your land. They can't buy it all.
PO Box 120 Broke NSW 2330
www.huntervalleyprotectionalliance.com
