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Service standards

Electricity, gas and water suppliers in New South Wales must provide a specified level of service in conducting business with their customers. A summary of the standards appears below. For more detailed information, check your contract or if you are with a standard retailer, check their standard customer supply contract (a copy will be on the supplier's website).

Electricity and gas suppliers

• Disconnection: There are rules about when an electricity or gas company can disconnect supply, see our section on Disconnection.
• Keeping appointments: If the supplier is more than 15 minutes late for an appointment they must pay the customer compensation of not less than $25.
• Connection services: If supply is not connected by a date agreed by the customer and the supplier, the supplier must pay the customer at least $60 for each extra day (maximum $300).
• Interruption to supply: Suppliers must give affected customers two days notice of any planned interruptions to the electricity or gas supply. If no notice is given, or the work takes longer than planned, then the supplier must pay affected customers at least $20. This does not apply if the work is unplanned or beyond the control of the supplier, emergency repairs for example.
• Repairing street lights: Faulty street lights must be fixed by the date agreed to by the supplier and the affected consumer. If not, the supplier must pay at least $15 in compensation to each customer whose property is next to the part of the street normally lit by a faulty streetlight.
• Telephone standards: Energy suppliers must provide both a 24-hour emergency line, and a business-hours information line. The service must not cost more than a local call, and must give consumers an option of speaking directly with a person.

For more details see the relevant legislation:

• Electricity Supply (General) Regulation 2001
• Gas Supply (Natural Gas Retail Competition) Regulation 2001

Water

Service standards will be detailed in the standard customer contract. Visit your supplier's website for a copy of the contract.