Auditing Accredited Certificate Providers

We use independent audits to ensure an Accredited Certificate Provider (ACP) has created peak reduction certificates (PRCs) in accordance with the legislation and its conditions of accreditation.

An ACP’s audit requirements are specified in its Accreditation Notice. Requirements are based on a risk assessment, which considers a range of factors, including:

• the Recognised Peak Activities proposed to be undertaken
• the compliance history of the ACP under the PDRS and Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) (if applicable).

The audit regime is determined at the time of accreditation and we may make risk-based adjustments to it from time to time.

Where appropriate, we will align an ACP’s audit requirements for the Reducing Demand Using Efficiency method with its audit requirements in the ESS.

The ACP Audit Guide contains the framework for how we want auditors to prepare, perform and report audit assignments.

Audit Scope

The Detailed Scope of Works (DSW) Submission Form and relevant audit scope/s detail the nature and scope of the services that are required to be provided by an auditor in undertaking PDRS audits. They include:

• verifying calculations carried out by an ACP while creating (or proposing to create) PRCs
• verifying an ACP’s ongoing eligibility, including record keeping arrangements and compliance with customer engagement and representative requirements.

Commencing an audit

Before undertaking audits of PRC creation, or proposed PRC creation, auditors must complete and upload the following documents in TESSA:

• DSW Submission Form
• proposed sampling plan.

These documents must be approved by us before an audit can commence.

For pre-registration audits, the sampling plan is included in the List of Sites. For post-registration audits, auditors should export the implementation data that is the subject of the audit into an excel file and nominate which sites are subject to each tier of sampling.

Conducting the audit

The ACP Audit Guide sets out the requirements to conduct and report on the outcome of an audit. Once the draft audit report is complete, auditors must upload a copy of the report to TESSA for us to review.

Once satisfied, we will approve the release of the draft audit report to the ACP so that a closing meeting can be held with the ACP, auditor and us.

Finalising an audit in TESSA

After the close out meeting, the auditor finalises the audit report and completes the following tasks in TESSA:

• submit final audit report
• update the recommendation status for previous recommendations (if any) to indicate if recommendation has been addressed or carried forward
• enter qualitative findings
• enter quantitative findings
• raise a new case in TESSA to enter new audit recommendations (if any).

Relevant documents

Activity specific scope items