About Us
The Energy Ombudsman (EO) receives, investigates and facilitates the resolution of complaints from residential and small business customers about their electricity/gas company.
The EO operates in a similar manner to other industry ombudsmen such as the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria and the Energy and Water Ombudsman New South Wales by providing a free, independent and informal complaint resolution service.
What the EO can investigate
Matters we can investigate include -
- Complaints concerning the provision or supply of (or failure to provide or supply) electricity/gas services by a electricity/gas company to a customer
- Billing disputes
- The administration of credit and payment services for a particular customer
- Disconnection, restriction and refundable advance complaints
- Complaints from owners and occupiers of land or other property about the way in which a electricity/gas company has exercised its statutory powers in relation to that land or other property or in relation to neighbouring land or other property.
- Recovery of debts owed or allegedly owed by customers whether by Members or their agents
- Disputes regarding payments for breaches of electricity service standards such as those provided for under the Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers
- Complaints about marketing.
Complaints may be made by consumers of electricity/gas and by persons directly affected by the provision or supply of (or failure to provide or supply) electricity/gas services.
Complaints may be oral or in writing and must have arisen from events which became known to the complainant less than one year prior to the complaint being lodged unless the EO otherwise agrees.
What the EO cannot do
The EO's functions do not extend to -
- The setting of prices or tariffs or determining price structures
- Commercial activities that are outside a electricity/gas company's licence to supply electricity/gas
- The content of Government policies
- Complaints which are specifically under consideration by any court or tribunal, or which have been considered by any of those bodies previously
- Any matter specifically required by legislation
- Events beyond the reasonable control of a electricity/gas company and their consequences, bearing in mind current law and reasonable and relevant industry practice
- Actions taken by an electricity or gas company and their consequences, in complying with a direction, notice or other like instrument received by the company.
Bottled Gas is not within the jurisdiction of the EO.
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