Before making a complaint, please see the information below about the issues that we can and cannot investigate.
Who can make a complaint?
Residential and small-use business customers of electricity, gas or water services and other people affected by a water service can complain to us. Your complaint can be made orally or in writing. You can authorise another person to act on your behalf.
Making a complaint for somebody else
Who can I complain about?
You can complain about electricity, gas and water companies and providers that are members of the Energy and Water Ombudsman scheme. A full list of members is on the service providers contacts page.
service provider contacts page
Issues we can investigate
The types of electricity, gas and water issues you can complain about include:
- 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.
- Impacts on property: Complaints about the way a provider has exercised its powers in relation to land and other property.
- Connection Issues: Complaints about the provision of electricity, gas and water services.
- Marketing: Complaints about the marketing activities of providers.
- Transfers: Complaints about transfers from one provider to another.
- Drainage, irrigation or sewerage: Complaints about the supply of drainage, irrigation or sewerage.
- Service Standard Payments: Complaints about regulated payments for poor service.
- Other service affecting you: Complaints not covered by other categories, including complaints by a person affected by a water service who may not be the account holder.
read more about common issues we deal with
make your Complaint
What we cannot investigate
The Energy and Water Ombudsman cannot investigate:
- The setting of prices or tariffs or determining price structures.
- The content of Government policies.
- Commercial activities that are outside the scope of the electricity, gas or water service licence.
- Complaints under consideration by, or previously considered by any court or tribunal; or that the Ombudsman considers should be dealt with by a court or tribunal.
- Any matter specifically required by legislation, codes, licences and orders to be handled by another authority.
- Issues to do with bottled gas.
We generally cannot investigate events which became known to you more than one year before you lodged your complaint with us, unless we agree that special circumstances apply.
Matters we must take into account
In resolving a complaint, we must take into account:
- Events beyond the reasonable control of the electricity, gas or water provider; and
- The actions taken by an electricity, gas or water provider (and any resulting consequence) that are in compliance with a direction or notice received by the provider.
It is also important to note that we may decide not to investigate if the complainant does not have sufficient interest in the matter, an investigation is not warranted or there is a more appropriate body to deal with the complaint.