13% CREDIT

In the July to September 2012 quarter, 2,183 customers raised Credit as their main issue—down 29% from 3,056 customers in the July to September 2011 quarter.

Credit issues—energy disconnection, water restriction, debt collection, payment difficulties—highlight the capacity of customers to pay their bills and stay on supply.

 

 

Trends in energy disconnection

In the July to September 2012 quarter, we received 1,100 cases about credit-related energy disconnection. Overall, this was down 35% from 1,699 cases in the July to September 2011 quarter. Cases about actual energy disconnection were down 35%. Cases about imminent energy disconnection were also down 35%.

There are, however, signs that credit-related disconnection cases are on the rise. Comparing the July to September 2012 quarter with the April to June 2012 quarter, cases about actual electricity disconnection were up from 204 to 225, cases about actual gas disconnection were up from 191 to 216 and cases about imminent gas disconnection were up from 161 to 209. Compared to July to September 2011, cases about imminent electricity disconnection were down this quarter from 531 to 450. In the October to December 2012 quarter, cases for all four of those categories were up compared with those in the July to September 2012 quarter.

Actual disconnections/restrictions

Trends in our cases about 'actual' disconnection of electricity or natural gas and restriction of water

Google Visualization API Sample

 

'Imminent' disconnections/restrictions

Trends in our cases about 'imminent' disconnection of electricity or natural gas and restriction of water

Click here to view visual representations of imminent disconnections

 

Trends in wrongful disconnection payment (WDP) assessments

In the July to September 2012 quarter, we received 302 WDP assessments — 2% more than in the April – June 2012 quarter—158 in electricity (up 5%) and 144 in gas (no change). We closed 278 WDP assessments, with 156 WDPs paid, 86 not payable and 36 not applicable. No assessments needed to be referred to the Essential Services Commission for decision.

Issue

A customer whose bills averaged $500 a quarter was facing imminent disconnection of her electricity supply for a disputed bill of $10,500. In December 2011, when the bill arrived, the customer queried it with the retailer. She was told that because there had been an error, the account would be put on hold and the problem would be corrected. Despite this undertaking, the customer continued to receive overdue notices. She said she also followed up regularly seeking to have the error corrected. In April 2012, when the problem hadn’t been addressed, she called EWOV.

Investigation

Responding to our investigation of the customer’s complaint, the retailer advised that a meter exchange at the customer’s property in 2009 was the underlying cause of the high bill —because two meters remained registered for the address. The retailer said that, in generating the December 2011 bill, its billing system had reverted to the old meter (unused for two years). As a result, the customer’s entire account was rebilled—including an overbilling of $8,824.78 for 15 days in December 2009.

Outcome

The energy retailer apologised to the customer. It credited her account with $8,817.77 to reverse all of the incorrect changes and made a customer service payment of $781.44 in recognition of the inconvenience caused. The total credit of $9,599.21 left the customer owing $1,272.21, which she was given extra time to pay. She was satisfied with this outcome.