Our Work in 2015-16

Complaints and Enquiries Received

Over the 12 month period from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016, the Energy and Water Ombudsman received 1,907 complaints and closed 1,885 complaints. In addition 84 enquiries were received. The following chart shows the breakdown of complaints and enquiries received for gas, electricity and water in 2015-16.

Complaints and Enquiries Received in 2015-16

Trends in Complaint Numbers

Overall complaints have decreased by 13% in 2015-16 including a 14% decrease in electricity complaint numbers, a 9% decrease in gas complaint numbers and a further 7% decrease in water complaints.

Complaints Received from 2011-12 to 2015-16

Further details of the trends in electricity complaints over the last five years are shown in the following chart. After a significant increase in electricity complaints in 2009-10 and 2010-11, there has been a significant decrease over the past five years, including a 31% decrease in 2013-14, a further 25% decrease in 2014-15 and a further 14% decrease in 2015-16. 

Electricity Complaints Received by Month
2011-12 to 2015-16 (explanation of figures is in preceding paragraph)

Complaints Finalised

Complaints are finalised through resolution by the electricity, gas or water provider where possible and, if the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the complaint is investigated. The complaint stages and action taken by the Energy and Water Ombudsman at each stage are shown below.

Stage 1 Complaints

The person has not yet contacted the electricity, gas or water provider. The person is referred to the relevant provider.

Stage 2 Complaints

The person has had at least one contact with their electricity, gas or water provider (such as contact to the call centre) but the complaint has not been resolved. The Energy and Water Ombudsman refers the complaint to a ‘higher level’ officer for resolution within 10 business days.

Investigated Complaints

If a complaint remains unresolved after it has been referred to a ‘higher level’ officer at the relevant provider, the matter is investigated by the Energy and Water Ombudsman.


In 2015-16, there were 1,885 complaints closed, comprising 1,363 electricity complaints, 254 gas complaints and 268 water complaints.

Timeliness of Complaint Handling

The Energy and Water Ombudsman has maintained its high levels of timeliness in 2015-16 with 89% of electricity complaints, 96% of gas complaints, 89% of water complaints and 90% of all complaints being finalised within 10 business days. The following charts show the timeframes for resolving electricity, gas and water complaints in 2015-16.

Time to Close Complaints in 2015-16

Issues Raised in Complaints

Issues raised in electricity, gas and water complaints fall into the following categories:

Billing

Complaints about bills including alleged errors and disputes over meter readings and fees and charges.

Credit

Complaints about payment arrangements, debt collection issues and payment difficulties.

Customer Service

Complaints about alleged poor customer service.

Supply

Complaints about the quality and reliability of supply of electricity, gas or water.

Provision

Complaints about connection issues.

Land

Complaints about the way a Scheme Member has exercised its powers in relation to land.

Service Standard Payments

Complaints about regulated payments for poor service.

Transfer

Complaints about transfers from one supplier to another.

Marketing

Complaints about the marketing activities of Scheme Members.

Drainage, Irrigation or Sewerage

Complaints about the supply of drainage, irrigation or sewerage.

General

Complaints not covered by other categories, including complaints by a person affected by a water service.


Most Common Issues Raised

As for previous years, during 2015-16, billing remains the most common issue raised for electricity, gas and water complaints. Billing issues were raised in 43% of complaints received (39% of electricity complaints, 53% of gas complaints and 53% of water complaints). During the year there has been a decrease in billing complaints of 15% for electricity, 12% for gas and 15% for water.

Credit is also a common issue for energy complaints, and credit issues were raised in 33% of electricity complaints and 29% of gas complaints.

The following charts show the trends in issues raised in complaints over the last five years. "Other" includes Marketing, Transfer and Service Standard Payment and complaints by a person affected by a water service.

Electricity Issues  2011-12 to 2015-16

Gas Issues 2011-12 to 2015-16

Water Issues 2013-14 to 2015-16

Reasons for Billing and Credit Complaints

Complaints about billing and credit issues may be made for a range of reasons. The main types of billing and credit issues are:

Types of Billing Issues   

High Bill

Bill higher than expected.

Alleged Error

Alleged billing errors.

Meter

Metering issues.

Non Application

Disconnections due to the customer not applying for an account.

Tariff

Incorrect rates or lack of information about tariffs.

Fees

Fees and charges.

Pensioner Rebate

Rebate has not been applied or has been incorrectly applied.

Format

Format or lack of adequate information on bill.

Other

Includes backbills, GST, historical debt, payment periods and security deposit.

Types of Credit Issues

Arrears

Credit arrears.

Debt Collection

Credit rating or debt collection issues.

Bill and Debt Payments

Customer has received a high bill and has difficulty in payment, has difficulty paying debts or problems with payment arrangements.

 

For electricity, gas and water complaints, the main reasons for billing complaints are high bills and alleged errors. For gas and water complaints, fees are another key reason for billing complaints.

For both electricity and gas, the main reason for credit complaints is payment of arrears and debt collection.


The trends over the last five years in the different types of billing and credit issues are shown in the following charts.

Types of Billing and Credit Issues for Electricity  2011-12 to 2015-16

Types of Billing and Credit Issues for Gas 2011-12 to 2015-16

Types of Billing and Credit Issues for Water 2011-12 to 2015-16

Disconnections

Gas and electricity retailers sometimes disconnect supply when a customer has failed to pay their bill or has not applied for an account when they take up a new residence. Before disconnecting, a reminder notice and then a disconnection warning should be sent. Complaints about reminder notices and disconnection warnings are recorded by the Energy and Water Ombudsman as impending disconnections. Complaints about a disconnection that has already occurred are recorded as actual disconnections. Water providers typically restrict a service rather than disconnect.

During 2015-16, there were:

  • 1,006 electricity complaints involving billing and credit issues and, of these, 147 involved actual disconnection and 62 involved an impending disconnection;
  • 205 gas complaints involving billing and credit issues and, of these, 48 involved actual disconnection and 13 involved an impending disconnection; and
  • 154 water complaints involving billing and credit issues, none of which related to water restriction or disconnection.

The following charts show trends in electricity billing and credit issues involving, and not involving, disconnections. For electricity there was a decrease in complaints about actual disconnections in 2012-13, which was maintained in 2013-14 and 2014-15. There has been a further decrease in complaints about actual disconnections in 2015-16. 

Electricity Disconnections 2011-12 to 2015-16

Gas Disconnections 2011-12 to 2015-16

Actual or impending disconnections can occur for the following reasons:

Reasons for Disconnection

Arrears and Backbills

Customer has not paid their bill or a backbill for a previous period.

Alleged Error

Customer claims that they have been, or are about to be, disconnected due to an alleged error by the retailer.

Non Application

The customer has moved into or acquired a property and not applied to their retailer for an account to be established.

 

For both electricity and gas, most complaints received about disconnections relate to arrears in bill payments.  The following charts show the trends in the reasons for all disconnections (actual and impending) over the last five years.

Electricity Disconnections (by %) 2011-12 to 2015-16

Gas Disconnections (by %) 2011-12 to 2015-16

The following case study illustrates the issues raised in complaints about disconnections.

Case Study 1

Investigated Complaints

The Energy and Water Ombudsman refers complaints to the electricity, gas or water services provider to resolve the matter in the first instance and most complaints are resolved directly between the customer and the provider. If the customer does not consider the matter is resolved they can bring their complaint back to the Energy and Water Ombudsman for investigation.

Resolution Through Further Referral

In some complaints, where there is the potential for an early resolution, the Energy and Water Ombudsman may ask the customer to give their provider a final opportunity to resolve the complaint. The customer and the provider are informed that, if the matter is not resolved in a reasonable timeframe, the customer can bring it back to the Energy and Water Ombudsman and it will be investigated.

Investigations Finalised

There were 125 investigated electricity complaints, 7 investigated gas complaints and 26 investigated water complaints finalised during 2015-16. 

As shown in the following chart, consistent with a decline in electricity, gas and water complaints received, the number of investigated complaints in 2015-16 has decreased compared to 2014-15.

Number of investigations finalised 2011-12 to 2015-16

There has been a decrease in the proportion of complaints finalised after an investigation in 2015-16 compared to 2014-15, as shown in the following chart.

Investigations Finalised as Percentage of Complaints Finalised 2011-12 to 2015-16

Outcomes of Investigated Complaints

Complaints that proceed to investigation may be finalised for the following reasons:

  • The Energy and Water Ombudsman facilitates a resolution;
  • Investigation of the matter shows that it is out of jurisdiction;
  • The investigation shows the complaint is not sustained;
  • The investigation shows the matter is sustained and the Energy and Water Ombudsman makes a binding determination including an appropriate remedy; or
  • Further investigation is not warranted for a range of reasons.

For most investigated complaints the investigation ceases because:

  • The Energy and Water Ombudsman investigating officer is able to facilitate a resolution between the customer and their electricity, gas or water provider. This occurred in 41 (26%) of the 158 investigations finalised in 2015-16; or
  • The investigation shows the complaint is not sustained. This occurred in
    116 (73%) of the 158 investigations finalised in 2015-16.

Smaller proportions of complaints are finalised because they are found, during the investigation, to be out of jurisdiction or further investigation is not warranted. In 2015-16 there was one complaint found to be out of jurisdiction.

There were no binding determinations by the Energy and Water Ombudsman in the 2015-16 reporting period.

Outcomes of Investigated Electricity Complaints

The following chart shows the outcomes of the investigated electricity complaints finalised in 2015-16 broken down by the issue of the complaint.

Outcome of electricity investigations in 2015-16

Outcomes of Investigated Gas Complaints

The outcomes of the seven investigated gas complaints were that two complaints were resolved and five complaints were not sustained.

Outcomes of Investigated Water Complaints

The outcomes of the 26 investigated water complaints were that seven complaints were resolved, 18 complaints were not sustained and one complaint was out of jurisdiction.

Resolutions for Investigated Complaints

Electricity, gas and water providers may offer a range of actions to resolve a complaint including reducing bills, correcting or removing credit listings, providing the complainant with more time to pay, or providing compensation, an explanation or an apology. Bills may be reduced for a variety of reasons including correction of errors (for example, payment of rebate entitlements). Compensation may be paid where a customer has suffered a loss or damage due to the actions of their electricity, gas or water provider.

Resolutions for Investigated Electricity Complaints

In 2015-16, there were 62 actions offered by electricity providers to resolve the 32 investigated electricity complaints that were resolved during the year.

The number of actions undertaken is higher than the number of complaints resolved as there is often more than one action taken by the provider to resolve the complaint. For example, the retailer may reduce the bill and offer an apology.

The following chart provides the breakdown of the actions offered to resolve investigated complaints for billing complaints and complaints about other issues.

Resolutions for Investigated Electricity Complaints in 2015-16

Resolutions for Investigated Gas Complaints

There were seven actions offered by gas providers for the seven investigated gas complaints that were resolved in 2015-16, including:

  • Explanation or information provided;
  • Credit applied;
  • Bill reduced;
  • Goodwill payment or compensation; and
  • Account problems rectified.
Resolutions for Investigated Water Complaints

There were nine actions offered by water providers for the 26 investigated water complaints that were resolved in 2015-16, including:

  • Explanation or information provided;
  • Debt waived or a credit applied;
  • Goodwill payment or compensation;
  • Fees waived;
  • Bill reduced; and
  • Customer billed or rebilled.

The following case studies illustrate the resolutions offered by providers.

Case Study

Case Study

 

 

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