EWON Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW. Free, fair and independent.

Disconnection or restriction

If you are having difficulty paying your bill and you are facing disconnection, contact your supplier and ask about their customer assistance program, payment options or emergency assistance (EAPA, PAS vouchers).

If you have been disconnected, you will normally have to pay something towards your account or agree to a payment plan for the company to reconnect you. If the energy or water company agrees for you to pay the bill over time, they will normally try to send a field officer to your home the same day to reconnect the supply. Sometimes, particularly if you have been disconnected at the pole or you contact the company late in the afternoon, you may not be reconnected until the following day.

If you have been disconnected and can't work out an arrangement with your supplier to get reconnected, contact EWON for help.

Electricity or gas

Rules about disconnection

There are rules about when and how a company can disconnect your supply. The laws are set out in the Electricity Supply (General) Regulation 2001 and Gas Supply (Natural Gas Retail Competition) Regulation 2001.

Generally electricity or gas disconnection occurs at the meter box. In the case of electricity, if arrears remain unpaid, the supplier may arrange for a pole-top disconnection.

An energy company cannot disconnect your supply for non-payment unless in the previous 12 months, the company has twice offered you a payment plan or assistance under their hardship program. Your electricity or gas supply cannot be disconnected if.

• You have an appointment with a community agency about EAPA (Energy Accounts Payment Assistance) vouchers.
• You or someone in your house runs a life support machine that uses electricity and your energy company is aware of this (it will be noted in your account details). Contact your company to find out which machines qualify (for example, an asthma nebuliser is not considered a life support machine).
• It’s a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, a public holiday or any day before a public holiday, or after 3pm any other day.
• Within three days of your matter being referred to EWON.

Your electricity or gas supply can be disconnected when:

• You don’t make contact with the company to arrange payment of an overdue amount.
• You don’t maintain contact with the company (for example, you don’t let them know you have an EAPA appointment or you’ve made a payment).
• You miss a payment or don’t keep up with your payment arrangements.
• You haven’t paid or made arrangements to pay a security deposit.
• The company hasn’t been able to enter your property to read your meter.
• You haven’t opened an account.

Before they disconnect

The law states that the energy company must try to contact you before they disconnect you.

• Your energy company must issue you with at least two written notices. The second notice must be issued at least one week after the first notice. The notices should state:
  • the reason/s for disconnection
  • the date when you will be disconnected
  • what your rights are
  • how to contact EWON
  • the payment assistance programs available to you

• Your energy company must make reasonable attempts to contact you, including one attempt outside business hours, to give you the chance to make a payment or enter into a payment arrangement. They may contact you before or after the written notices are issued, either by phone or in person.

• Your energy company must advise you in writing of your option to enter into a payment arrangement to avoid disconnection, if you are experiencing financial difficulties.

• Your energy company must propose a payment plan which takes into account your capacity to pay, any arrears owing and your consumption.

Fees

In most circumstances, you’ll have to pay a fee that covers disconnection and reconnection. Fees are set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal and not by the companies themselves. There may also be extra fees if you want to be reconnected after hours (after 4pm weekdays) or you have been disconnected at the pole rather than the meter box.

If the company has disconnected you by mistake, or without taking reasonable steps to contact you, they should not charge you a fee.

Water restriction

Water is usually not disconnected because of the impact on public health. However, water can be restricted to allow only a very limited flow to the property.

The suppliers Hunter Water and Sydney Water have customer contracts that regulate restriction practices. The following guidelines apply to customers of these two water suppliers.

Grounds for restriction

Hunter Water and Sydney Water can restrict when a customer:

• fails to pay any amount due
• has non-compliant plumbing work
• breaches a relevant law
• discharges unauthorised trade waste water
• discharges chemicals that pose a health risk
• fails to install a backflow prevention device when required
• uses recycled water improperly
• does not comply with the terms of the customer contract

Notification of restriction

Unlike electricity and gas, water suppliers are not required to follow a legislated notification schedule. Customers will generally be notified in writing before their water is disconnected or restricted.

If the customer's address is different from the property address, a notice should also be given to the occupiers to alert them to possible restriction or disconnection action.