National Energy Retail Law (Queensland)

An arrangement (a deemed customer retail arrangement) is taken to apply between the financially responsible retailer for energised premises and—

a move-in customer; or

a carry-over customer.

The deemed customer retail arrangement comes into operation when—

in the case of a move‐in customer—the customer starts consuming energy at the premises; or

in the case of a carry‐over customer—the customer’s previously current retail contract terminates.

The deemed customer retail arrangement ceases to be in operation if a customer retail contract is formed in relation to the premises, but this subsection does not affect any rights or obligations that have already accrued under the deemed customer retail arrangement.

Subsection (1) does not apply where the customer consumes energy at the premises by fraudulent or illegal means.

If the customer consumes energy at the premises by fraudulent or illegal means—

the customer is nevertheless liable to pay the standing offer prices of the financially responsible retailer for the premises in respect of the energy so consumed; and

the financially responsible retailer may estimate and issue a bill for the charges payable and recover those charges in accordance with those standing offer prices as a debt in a court of competent jurisdiction; and

payment or recovery of any such charges is not a defence to an offence relating to obtaining energy by fraudulent or illegal means.

A move-in customer or carry‐over customer is required to contact a retailer and take appropriate steps to enter into a customer retail contract as soon as practicable.