Media centre
An important message regarding media enquiries
EWON's mandate is to provide a fair and independent dispute resolution service for consumers and utility providers. To meet this obligation, the Ombudsman is not able to comment on individual people, companies or investigations, as this may compromise the privacy of consumers who come to EWON with their complaints, and/or unfairly advantage or disadvantage commercially competitive companies.
The Ombudsman is not able to comment on government policy (which is out of EWON's jurisdiction). However, the Ombudsman welcomes public and open discussion on systemic issues affecting consumers in relation to the energy and water industries.
Public information about utility issues and consumer complaints is available through EWON publications on this website, in particular our submissions, annual reports and newsletters.
Tuesday 1 December 2009
High utility bills - what can customers do?
Complaints to the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) about high utility bills continue to increase and billing issues currently represent 40% of customer complaints. Customers who have received a bill that they think is too high can:
1. Try to identify a possible reason.
- Check your usage - are you using more energy or water?
Compare the usage on your high bill with a bill from a similar period (eg. the previous year).
If your usage has increased for a similar number of days, consider the following:
- If there was extreme weather and/or extended periods of very cold or hot weather during the billing period, did your household use more heating or cooling?
- Did you purchase any new appliances?
- Have you checked for faulty appliances or leaks?
- Did you move into a new property?
- Did you have guests staying or additional people living at your property?
- Were you or someone in your household at home more often during the day?
- Does the billing period include price increases?
Price increases for energy and water come into effect each year (typically on 1 July) and impact on all customers. Regulated prices for customers on standard contracts are set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (visit www.ipart.nsw.gov.au).
- Check your current and previous bills for estimated readings.
Retailers can estimate your bill if there are problems accessing your meter. If your previous bills were estimated and you were undercharged, you may receive a higher than expected catch-up bill when the meter reader gains access to your meter and takes an actual reading.
2. Contact your retailer
Ask your retailer to explain the charges on the bill. If you need more time to pay, ask about an extension or an instalment plan arrangement. Your retailer may also be able to offer you advice on ways to save energy or water.
3. Emergency assistance
Ask your retailer about agencies in your area that distribute EAPA (Energy Accounts Payment Assistance) vouchers or PAS (Payment Assistance Scheme) vouchers for water. These vouchers can be paid towards your energy or water bills, and are distributed by community agencies throughout NSW such as neighbourhood centres, Anglicare, St Vincent de Paul or Salvation Army. If you cannot obtain EAPA vouchers contact EWON on freecall 1800 246 545.
Low-income customers may be eligible for NILS (No Interest Loan Schemes) to help replace old appliances with new energy or water efficient appliances. Visit www.nilsnsw.org.au for more information.
4. Contact EWON (Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW)
If you are not satisfied with your retailer’s response or you are unable to negotiate a payment arrangement, contact EWON on freecall 1800 246 545 or lodge a complaint online.
Tuesday 17 November 2009
Ombudsman reports billing problems people can’t afford
The Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) today released their Annual Report 2008-2009 which shows customer complaints are on the rise with 10,520 cases finalised this year, an 18% increase from the previous year.
The primary reason for customer complaints was billing, and EWON received 5547 complaints about a range of billing issues. Of these, 2278 customers disputed their account or complained their bill was high, up from 1551 complaints last year and representing a 47% increase for this particular issue.
Clare Petre, Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW, is concerned about billing problems turning regular
paying customers into customers with a utility debt.
Ms Petre said, “In some cases delayed billing and system problems resulted in customers receiving an unexpected high bill which they couldn’t afford to pay all at once.
“Many customers were anxious about receiving a large backbill and because of significant delays, they were not confident about the accuracy of the bills when they finally arrived. This situation was exacerbated by poor customer service by some utilities, so people came to EWON for help.”
In her report, Ms Petre highlights that customers can be disadvantaged when they do not receive regular, accurate and accessible utility bills.
Ms Petre said, “Delayed bills can mean customers are denied the opportunity to address factors such as high usage or faulty appliances. It's in everyone's interests for utilities to ensure their systems, policies and processes align with industry best practice.”
The Ombudsman notes in her report that there were 2908 credit-related complaints including impending and actual disconnection, debt collection and credit listing. Ms Petre said that companies need to actively engage with customers to ensure they do not accumulate large and unmanageable arrears.
“For energy and water retailers, this means early identification of customers in financial difficulty, ensuring their customer assistance programs are accessible, and providing information about ways to reduce consumption,” Ms Petre stated.
Customers who are unable to resolve problems directly with their energy or water provider can contact EWON on freecall 1800 246 545 or visit www.ewon.com.au to lodge a complaint online. EWON’s service is free for consumers.
Tuesday 25 November 2008
Energy and water customers struggling to pay their bills
The Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) Annual Report 2007-2008 shows utility complaints are on the rise, with the agency closing 8913 cases last year, a 3% increase from the previous year.
“Given that there was decrease in energy marketing activity last year, we see the overall increase in complaints as significant”, says Clare Petre, Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW.
“While billing was the leading issue for complaints to EWON, it is the increase in affordability and transfer related problems which concerns us. We are seeing more people who have been cut off or facing disconnection because they can’t afford to pay their bills. We had 1484 credit-related disconnection complaints, a 32% increase from the previous year.
“Some customers have substantial arrears on their account which they are having trouble reducing because they are struggling to cover their usage costs. We urge customers to speak to their provider about how they can reduce their consumption to keep their costs down. Customers can also seek emergency financial assistance to help with arrears on their energy and water bills.”
Ms Petre says EWON is also receiving complaints from customers who have been caught in the middle when transfers of energy accounts between retailers don’t go smoothly.
“Retailers successfully deal with thousands of transactions but when things do go wrong, customers can be seriously inconvenienced. Sometimes contacting EWON is the only way for customers to find out who their energy retailer is.
“The worst case scenario is that a customer is disconnected in error. These customers are understandably frustrated when they contact their retailer, especially if their payments are up to date.”
This year also marks EWON’s tenth year in operation. The Ombudsman notes in her Annual Report that generally, energy and water companies have been supportive of and worked with EWON to achieve reasonable outcomes for customers.
“We look forward to continuing our work with retailers, government, regulators and community stakeholders, on customer issues such as affordability and errors in the switching process between retailers,” says Ms Petre.
Customers in who are unable to resolve problems directly with their energy or water provider can contact EWON on freecall 1800 246 545 or visit www.ewon.com.au to lodge a complaint online.
Wednesday 14 November 2007
Ombudsman receives its highest number of energy and water complaints
The Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) handled 8641 complaints last year, a 13% increase from the previous year and the highest number of complaints since it began nine years ago.
Released today, EWON’s Annual Report 2006–2007 shows that for the first time, customers complained more about retail competition issues than billing or credit. Retail competition in energy represented 29% of all issues raised by customers.
Clare Petre, Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW cautions that complaints to EWON are a significant barometer for energy and water companies about customer concerns.
EWON received 2786 complaints from customers about energy retail competition issues including misleading marketing, delayed billing or transfer, and limited payment options under new contracts. This represents a 50% increase in retail competition complaints from the previous year.
Of these complaints, 871 customers said they had not agreed to a contract but found their accounts cancelled or transferred without their consent.
“This year we have received a significant number of complaints about retail competition in energy. Some customers complained they were confused by their new retailer’s billing system, while others were frustrated when they had to wait months for their account to be transferred,” says Ms Petre.
“While we have seen a reduction in complaints involving misleading marketing, we are still concerned about inappropriate sales tactics being used to sign-up customers. We continue to receive complaints from advocates and family members about vulnerable customers signing contracts when it is clear that informed consent is an issue.
“Consumers in New South Wales are faced with a greater choice of retailers and energy products, especially as electricity and gas are often bundled or tied-in with other services.”
Ms Petre warns consumers, “It is important to carefully consider any energy offer before you sign. Make sure it is the right arrangement for you, as in the end, your supply won’t change, you’ll still receive the same electricity and gas as before.”
Thursday 28 June 2007
Checked your energy bill lately?
A message to small business owners and strata schemes in New South Wales from the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON).
Clare Petre, Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW urges all small business owners and strata schemes to check their electricity and gas bills at the end of the financial year, following a number of complaints to her office from commercial customers.
‘Over recent months some small businesses and strata schemes have received catch-up bills for tens of thousands of dollars after billing errors went undetected by their energy supplier for several years’, Ms Petre says.
‘While domestic customers can’t be back-billed for more than 12 months, commercial customers can be back-billed for up to 6 years’, she explains.
Large back-bills can have a negative impact on the cashflow of businesses and strata schemes may have to impose special levies on residents in order to pay such bills and avoid disconnection.
Some commercial customers complained that they were not able to bill previous clients or residents for their share of catch-up accounts. They also said that had they been aware of their true consumption levels, they may have been able to review or reduce their energy usage. Inaccurate billing denied them the opportunity to fix the problem.
‘Some of the customers who contacted EWON were receiving energy bills for their business which were less than a domestic residence, but no one in the company picked this up’, Ms Petre says.
‘While it is extremely unfortunate that significant billing errors occur, business customers have a responsibility to regularly check their accounts to make sure they are not too high or too low.
‘If your business or strata has equipment and facilities that have the potential for high energy consumption but your account charges seem to reflect a lower level of usage, you should contact your retailer immediately to clarify this situation’, Ms Petre states.
Customers who are not able to resolve problems with their energy supplier can contact EWON for assistance. EWON’s service is free, fair and independent.
