| ATSI communities
Statistics
Complaints received
This year EWON received 96 complaints (1% of all complaints) from customers who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI). While this figure most certainly underestimates our contact with ATSI customers, it gives us an indication of their issues.
Of the 96 complaints, 69% of ATSI customers had credit related issues, with 30 people disconnected and a further 21 facing disconnection. Around 83% of complaints were made by women.
Around 39% of the ATSI complaints came from outer Sydney, 12% from inner Sydney, 10% from the South East and 9% from the Hunter.
| Issues raised by ATSI customers |
| Credit |
69% |
| Retail competition |
15% |
| Billing |
13% |
| Customer service |
3% |
| General |
<1% |
Outreach
Good Service Committee and forums
EWON continues to participate in the Good Service Committee in partnership with the Anti-Discrimination Board, NSW Office of Fair Trading, NSW Ombudsman and Legal Aid NSW. The aim of the group is to raise awareness of complaint agencies among ATSI consumers. This year the Committee's membership expanded to include the Banking and Financial Services Ombudsman, Commonwealth Ombudsman and the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
In 2006-2007 Good Service community information forums were held in Dubbo, Shoalhaven, Condobolin and Bankstown. In the lead up to each forum the Good Service Committee worked closely with the local interagency groups and community contacts. We have received positive feedback that these forums have helped to increase awareness of our services among ATSI customers.
Indigenous Tenancy Expos and NSW Office of Fair Trading
Over the year our Indigenous Project Officer worked closely with the NSW Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Aboriginal Services Program on a range of outreach activities. EWON joined OFT in Indigenous tenancy expos at La Perouse, Blacktown and Gloucester. We also presented at OFT's Consumer Week forums for Indigenous community members in Mt Druitt and Richmond.
Meeting the community
Another important part of our Indigenous outreach strategy is participation in key Indigenous community festivals and celebrations, and this year we attended NAIDOC week and Yabun community festivals in Sydney. Throughout the year we attended Koori interagency meetings for local community workers in South West Sydney and Bankstown.
As part of our outreach to rural and remote communities we visited community agencies in Condobolin, Lake Cargellico, Murrin Bridge, West Wyalong, Forbes and Parkes along with Country Energy, the standard provider for the area. The visits were very useful in providing information to agencies who were not aware of EWON, customer assistance programs or the emergency relief available to assist people in financial hardship.
Colouring in sheet
We extended our range of ATSI material by producing a colouring in sheet for children based on Vee Thornbury's painting 'Within Reach' and her story about electricity, gas and water and EWON. You can view the colouring sheet on our website and copies can be ordered online.
Case studies
Benefits cut off and electricity disconnected
Tanya is an Aboriginal woman who contacted EWON because her electricity had been disconnected for more than a week.
Tanya said there were a few family members living with her but their Centrelink payments had been suspended, so there was little money coming in. When Tanya rang EWON she was very upset and told us she was 'embarrassed by this'. She had received $90 in EAPA but wanted help getting reconnected.
Tanya had signed a contract with an out-of-area retailer and we called the retailer to discuss reconnection. The retailer said Tanya owed $1429. They indicated that if Tanya wanted to return to her standard provider, they wouldn't apply a termination fee and would waive all other administrative charges on the account.
Tanya agreed to a payment plan to pay off her consumption costs and she decided to return to the standard provider for the area. We helped her set up an account and payment plan with the standard provider, who placed her on their customer assistance program. Tanya was reconnected the following day.
A realistic payment option?
Kiah is an Aboriginal woman who has three children under 8 years and relies on a pension for her income. She had financial difficulties and found it hard to keep up with the bills.
Kiah couldn't pay the $890 owing on her electricity account and her supply was disconnected.
She rang her provider to discuss a payment plan but was told she had to pay $445 upfront and the remainder in 7 days to get reconnected. This wasn't possible for her so Kiah and her children went to stay with her sister.
Kiah wanted to have her electricity reconnected and move her family back home so she set up a Centrepay arrangement and paid $20 fortnightly into her electricity account. Kiah tried to get EAPA vouchers but was told by agencies that they had run out.
When Kiah called EWON, she had been disconnected for four months but had managed to pay $210 towards her account.
EWON contacted the provider to discuss her situation. Given that Kiah had been making payments we suggested she should be reconnected and placed on their customer assistance program.
The provider agreed that their initial request for payment didn't consider Kiah's
difficult financial situation nor did they provide her with a realistic payment option
for reconnection.
The provider therefore credited $300 towards Kiah's account as a customer service gesture. As Kiah would be participating in their customer assistance program, the provider also waived the disconnection and late fees from her account
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