RETAILER ENERGY PRODUCTIVITY SCHEME (REPS)
REPS Overview
The Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) commenced on 1 January 2021.
The REPS is a South Australian Government energy productivity scheme that provides incentives for South Australian households and businesses to save energy. The REPS follows on from the Retailer Energy Efficiency Scheme (REES) which ran from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2020.
The Electricity (General) Regulations 2012 and the Gas Regulations 2012 (the Regulations) establish the Essential Services Commission (the Commission) as the administrator of the REPS. The Commission’s role is to ensure energy retailers comply with the Minister of Energy and Mining’s Specifications for REPS activities and with the REPS Code. The Commission also publishes the REPS Annual Report.
The objective of the REPS is to ‘improve energy productivity for households, businesses and the broader energy system, with a focus on low-income households. This will reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.’ The REPS achieves its objectives through the setting of energy productivity targets (EPTs) to be met by electricity and gas retailers. EPTs are determined annually by the Minister for Energy and Mining (the Minister). Energy retailers that are set annual REPS targets are known as ‘obliged retailers’. To achieve their targets, obliged retailers offer incentives to households and businesses to deliver energy productivity activities in homes and business premises. Retailers also have the flexibility to design and offer individual incentive programs to customers.
Obliged retailers may offer energy productivity activities that are delivered to households and businesses by the obliged retailers and their activity providers. The Minister determines the form of the REPS energy productivity activities and the obliged retailers decide what activities and incentives they will offer to customers. This may include a discount on services, free products or products up to a certain value, a cash rebate, vouchers etc. While various approved activities can be offered by providers under the REPS, providers do not offer all REPS activities and some activity types may not be available.
Households and businesses can access REPS activities by contacting any of the obliged retailers regardless of who they have an energy contract with, or by contacting any of the activity providers.
For further information of the REPS please see the REPS FAQs and subscribe for updates.