CX - Energy Data Language Standards - NMI and Scheduled Payments

[CDR-CX-Stream]

Description

Consultation and changes relating to CR495 during maintenance iteration 11 (MI11) highlighted issues with the existing energy data language standards where descriptions refer to NMI and the payment schedule scope, specifically:

• NMI is only shared through the NMI standing data cluster but accounts and billing clusters also (incorrectly) include the term 'NMI' in the permission language
• the discussion and changes relating to CR495 have also highlighted that the existing data language standards may not accurately reflect the information that is shareable through the payment schedule scope

Area Affected

Energy Accounts Data language standards relating to the energy:accounts.basic:read and energy:accounts.detail:read scopes

Billing Data language standards relating to the energy:billing:read scope

Stored Payment Information Data language standards relating to the energy:accounts.paymentschedule:read scope

Change Proposed

Energy Accounts (energy:accounts.basic:read and energy:accounts.detail:read scopes) Remove all references to 'NMI' in permission language

Billing (energy:billing:read scope) Remove reference to 'NMI' in permission language

Stored Payment Information (energy:accounts.paymentschedule:read scope) Change existing data cluster and permission language to:

Payment preferences

• Any scheduled payment details
• Payment and billing frequency

The payment schedule language changes are proposed to cover where consumers may have automated payments setup, and/or may pay bills manually after receiving their bill(s), as well as the associated frequency for payments and/or billing.

DSB welcomes views on these changes and if they need to be proposed as a future dated obligation or can take effect in November for energy DHs.

DSB Proposed Solution

The current DSB proposal for this issue is in this comment

Decision Record

The Data Standards Chair approved this decision as an urgent change on 1 September 2022. The decision record is attached: Decision 529

[biza-io]

Biza.io is comfortable with the proposed changes although we note that the proposal doesn't explicitly restate the data clusters being altered. A table of before and after would provide the most completeness.

Since the proposed changes directly relate to the potential alteration of a Consumers perceived consent we believe there may be unintended consequences with altering the language post launch. As such we recommend the changes be made effective from the November delivery date. To facilitate this timeline we request the DSB formalise and finalise this proposal immediately.

[CDR-CX-Stream]

Thanks Biza for your input - see the below table to illustrate the proposed language changes for accounts, billing, and paymentschedule scopes. Items that have been struck through will be removed.

Energy accounts

Data cluster language	Permission language	Authorisation Scopes
Accounts and plans	Account and plan information; National Meter Identifier (NMI);	energy:accounts.basic:read
Account and plan details	Account and plan information; National Meter Identifier (NMI); Account type; Fees, features, rates, and discounts; Additional account users;	energy:accounts.detail:read

Billing

Data cluster language	Permission language	Authorisation Scopes
Billing payments and history	Account balance; National Meter Identifier (NMI); Payment method; Payment status; Charges, discounts, credits; Billing date; Usage for billing period; Payment date; Invoice number;	energy:billing:read

Changes to payment language will be proposed as follows:

Payments

(Before) Data cluster language	Permission language	Authorisation Scopes
Stored payment information	Payment details; Scheduled payment amount;	energy:accounts.paymentschedule:read

(After proposed change) Data cluster language	Permission language	Authorisation Scopes
Payment preferences	Payment and billing frequency; Any scheduled payment details;	energy:accounts.paymentschedule:read

We note Biza's support for this change and preference for it to be finalised and made effective from November. We are seeking additional input from energy retailers with November obligations to understand if there is consensus in this regard. If so, we will propose that the change be treated as urgent and dealt with separate to MI12.

[jsaxon-red]

Red Energy are comfortable with this proposed change

[JohnMillsEnergyAustralia]

EA supports the change proposed to remove NMI from the above two data clusters (Billing payments and history; Account and plan details)

[CDR-CX-Stream]

Thanks @jsaxon-red and @JohnMillsEnergyAustralia.

@JohnMillsEnergyAustralia we also invite EA's views on the Payments cluster change being effective from November.

[JohnMillsEnergyAustralia]

EA supports the subsequent changes proposed to the above payment data cluster (Payment preferences)

[agl-cdrprogram]

AGL supports this change and recommends this change to be effective from November 22

[CDR-CX-Stream]

Thanks @agl-cdrprogram. The DSB would like to clarify that the proposed changes, if supported, would be made effective for energy retailers with November obligations from 15 November 2022 as outlined in the tranche 1 date in Schedule 4, Part 8, Rules 8.1 and 8.6 of the CDR rules.

[PratibhaOrigin]

Origin Energy supports the recommended changes for the NMI field. We understand this will come into effect from Nov 22.

[CDR-CX-Stream]

The Data Standards Chair has now approved this decision as an urgent change. The decision record can be found in the original post.

[CDR-API-Stream]

This approved change has been staged: https://github.com/ConsumerDataStandardsAustralia/standards-staging/compare/release/1.19.0..maintenance/529

[CDR-CX-Stream]

CR529 has been incorporated into v1.19.0 of the published standards (see: https://consumerdatastandardsaustralia.github.io/standards/#change-log).

This issue can now be closed.