Statement from the Minister for Mines and Energy

The National Electricity Market Management Company (NEMMCO) has announced that it has suspended Energy One Limited, a New South Wales based electricity retailer, from trading in the national electricity market – the first time a retailer has been suspended from the national market since its commencement in 1998.

NEMMCO has advised that around 5,380 customers, mostly from New South Wales, were affected. 161 Queensland commercial customers were also affected. They are larger customers that spend $15,000 a year at a minimum on electricity.

Power supply will be maintained to Queensland’s Energy One customers and they will be transferred to another retailer, either Origin Energy, AGL or Ergon Energy depending on their location.

Electricity retailers will contact the transferred customers in the coming days regarding their electricity contract arrangements.

This event will not affect households and small businesses in Queensland and is unrelated to full retail competition which starts on 1 July 2007.

The Queensland Government has ensured the interests of households and small businesses are protected under full retail competition.

23 June 2007

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