Who needs to join EWOSA?

Electricity, gas and water companies that fall under our jurisdiction are required to become members of EWOSA. This ensures their customers can contact us free of charge if they have complaints or disputes they have been unable to resolve directly with the company. When EWOSA handles a complaint, the company involved is charged a fee for the case.

Who needs to join EWOSA?

In South Australia, any organisation licensed to transmit, distribute, or retail electricity or gas must participate in an approved ombudsman scheme. This requirement applies not only to major retailers and distributors but also to residential embedded networks and small-scale (off-grid) electricity networks.

Water and sewerage service providers licensed by the Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) are also required to join our Scheme.

From 1 January 2026, third-party contractors delivering activities under the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) must also become members of EWOSA.

Types of members

Electricity or gas retailers

Electricity or gas retailers are responsible for opening and closing accounts, issuing bills and managing customer accounts. 

An authorised energy retailer is a company approved by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) to sell electricity or gas directly to customers. This authorisation allows them to operate legally under the National Energy Retail Law, which applies in South Australia.

All authorised electricity and gas retailers that supply to small customers in South Australia must be members of EWOSA.

Relevant legislative provisions include:

Electricity or gas distributors

Electricity and gas distributors are the companies that own and maintain the network infrastructure – the poles, wires, substations, and pipelines that physically deliver energy to homes and businesses.

In South Australia, the main electricity distributor is SA Power Networks, and the main gas distributor is Australian Gas Networks. Some remote communities are supplied by other distribution providers.

All authorised electricity and gas distributors that supply to small customers in South Australia must be members of EWOSA.

Relevant legislative provisions include:

Embedded networks

Embedded networks are private electricity networks that supply power to homes or businesses within a defined area, such as an apartment building, shopping centre, caravan park, or retirement village. These private networks are connected to the national electricity grid through a single parent meter.

An embedded network operator (also known as an exempt seller or on-seller) typically buys electricity in bulk from a retailer and then sells it to customers on individual child meters inside the embedded network.

In March 2018, the AER updated the Network Exemptions Guideline and the Retail Exempt Selling Guideline, requiring exempt sellers to become members of EWOSA.

Off-grid electricity networks

Small-scale or off-grid electricity networks supply electricity to regional or remote communities in South Australia through standalone systems. Some of these networks operate entirely off-grid, while others are connected to the national electricity market through an inset network arrangement.

These providers typically hold a retail, distribution or transmission licence issued by ESCOSA under the Electricity Act 1996 (SA). Under the Small-scale Electricity Networks Code, licence holders must become members of an approved ombudsman scheme.

Water providers

Water providers may operate as a public water utility (such as SA Water) or as councils or corporations licensed to supply water (often called small-scale water providers). Depending on the specific licence conditions set by ESCOSA, water providers licensed under the Water Industry Act 2012 (SA) may be required to join EWOSA.

Relevant legislative provision:

REPS activity providers

The Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) was introduced by the South Australian Government in 2021 to encourage households and businesses to make energy saving upgrades to their premises. ESCOSA administers the scheme and requires a subset of authorised energy retailers (known as obliged retailers) to deliver a set quota of REPS activities each year – for example, upgrades to heating or cooling appliances, hot water systems, or lighting.

Most obliged retailers engage third-party contractors, known as REPS activity providers, to carry out these activities on their behalf.

From 1 January 2026, new requirements in the Retail Energy Productivity Scheme Code state that obliged retailers must ensure that any REPS activity provider they engage is a member of EWOSA.

What does it cost?

EWOSA is fully funded by its scheme members through annual levies and user pays case-handling fees. The current funding model was developed and approved by our members.

Scheme members contribute through:

  • a fixed annual fee based on customer numbers
  • a fixed annual fee based on time recorded in the case management system
  • case-handling fees charged per actual case managed by EWOSA

These fees are calculated in line with our fee schedule, which is reviewed each year.

To access the current fees and levies for this financial year, please contact us at CompanySecretary@ewosa.com.au.

If you are an energy, water, or REPS activity provider and want to enquire about becoming a member of EWOSA, visit our Apply to Join page for more information.