| Case studies
A family experiencing utility stress
Frida and her husband both work but they have a large mortgage and found it difficult to keep up with the bills. They support four children under the age of 14.
Frida couldn't afford to pay her $134 gas bill all at once so she arranged an extension with her provider. She called to ask for another extension but it was denied because her next bill was due soon. She was told if she didn't pay she would be disconnected.
Frida didn't have the money to pay and her gas was disconnected. She approached a community agency for help and they referred her to a financial counsellor and to EWON.
While we were helping Frida to have her gas supply reconnected, we found she had similar problems with her electricity and water accounts. The family were falling behind in all their bills, their arrears were accumulating and they were facing disconnection of all their utilities.
Frida visited a financial counsellor who helped her family reorganise their finances to manage payment of their bills. She received $120 in EAPA (Energy Accounts Payment Assistance) from the community agency and paid this towards her gas account.
The gas provider organised reconnection and suggested that Frida would be eligible for their customer assistance program. The electricity and water providers agreed to realistic payments for Frida based on the financial counsellor's report.
EWON's negotiation with the providers, help from the financial counsellor, EAPA assistance from the community agency and referral to the providers' customer assistance programs were crucial elements in keeping Frida's family connected to the essential services.
Rejected business claim comes to EWON
Michael contacted EWON when his business' claim for compensation was denied by his electricity distributor.
Michael said the distributor had commissioned a contractor to work on a section of underground cables situated in his business' car park. Customers paying to use the car park generated income for his business and Michael said they hadn't received any notification of the impending work.This meant he didn't have the opportunity to make alternative arrangements for customers. He estimated his business had lost around $9300 income because of the disruption caused by the contractor's excavation.
EWON investigated Michael's complaint that the distributor had not given him adequate notice or information about the work.
The distributor advised that they believed the car park was public land, which meant they didn't have to provide prior advice of the work to Michael's business.
Our investigation established that the car park was on privately leased property and the distributor had not adequately ensured that all planning considerations had been met before undertaking the work.
Arising from EWON's investigation, the distributor agreed to make an ex-gratia payment of $8500 to Michael's business to settle the claim.
Customer disputes restoration work
Tony's commercial property has a boundary fence next to a large brick stormwater canal. The local water distributor contacted Tony because they needed to do major work on the canal and replace the chain wire boundary fence.
Before the work began, both parties signed an agreement that the distributor would replace the boundary fence with one that was exactly the same and return Tony's property to its original condition.
After the work was completed, Tony was not satisfied that his property had been returned to its original condition or that the new security fence was to the same standard of construction as the original.
He discussed the problems with the distributor but their view was that the new security fence and restoration were in line with the signed agreement, so Tony called EWON to make a complaint.
Tony said he had a number of issues with the work carried out but his biggest problem was that the land was restored with a slope, whereas previously it had been flat. This meant that Tony could no longer store materials for his business activities in the area.
We discussed Tony's complaint with the distributor who disputed that the surface of the land was flat prior to the excavation. The distributor said the slope was needed to assist with drainage and as an added safeguard if the stormwater canal flooded, as had occurred in the past.
EWON reviewed the initial agreement signed by Tony and the distributor, as well as photographs and video footage taken prior to the excavation. We also met with Tony at the site to see the completed work first-hand.
While both parties supplied documentation, it was difficult to ascertain the exact state of the land prior to the work as in all the photos the surface was covered by pallets sitting under the materials that Tony had stored there.
We met with the distributor to discuss how we could proceed to resolution. The distributor offered to restore the land to a flat surface provided Tony acknowledged in writing that he would seek approval before putting any substantial load on the area.
Tony was aware of the weight-bearing problems with the area and he felt his rights as a property owner were being compromised. We suggested that we could facilitate a meeting at the site with Tony and the distributor to clarify any issues and he agreed.
At the meeting the distributor detailed how they would restore the land to a level surface.
Tony considered their proposal but said he was still concerned that the distributor didn't want him to put anything at all near the boundary. He also had issues about signing a document saying he wouldn't place materials beyond a certain weight within the general area of the canal wall.
We explained to Tony that the distributor was responsible for maintaining the area and rectifying any faults, but property owners also had responsibilities. We advised Tony that in some cases a distributor will ask a property owner to acknowledge their obligations in writing.
Following EWON's negotiation between the two parties, Tony submitted a letter to the distributor stating his understanding of what he could place near the boundary. The distributor accepted Tony's letter as acknowledgement and proceeded to restore the land as agreed. EWON's investigation also established that the new security fence complied with the provider's network standard.
Energy saving offer leads to unwanted transfer
Sam contacted EWON when his energy account was transferred without his consent.
He said he was approached by a company who offered him a climate change pack containing energy-efficient showerheads and light bulbs. He accepted the offer and provided his driver’s licence as identification.
Following this the company phoned Sam and invited him to take up an energy
saving offer. He asked the company to send him additional information about the terms and conditions.
Sam then received a welcome letter from a new retailer which stated his electricity and gas had been transferred to them. Sam called the retailer to query the transfer and was told they had a voice recording of him accepting the offer.
He told the operator he had never heard of the retailer, only the company distributing the climate change pack. He told the operator he wanted to speak to a supervisor and left them a message but no-one returned his call.
We contacted the retailer and with Sam’s consent we referred his complaint to a
senior officer. Sam called EWON to confirm the retailer had agreed to cancel his contract without penalty.
Marketers door-knock a retirement village
Vicki runs a retirement village where the properties are individually metered. One day she was alerted by a resident that energy marketers were door-knocking units offering discounts. Vicki located the marketers and suggested they organise a group presentation instead of door-knocking. She gave them her business card so they could contact her to arrange a time for the presentation.
Vicki later found out the marketers continued with their door-knocking, telling residents she had given them approval to make sure everyone received the pensioner discount and showing her business card as confirmation.
Vicki told EWON that while she supported individuals choosing what was right for them, she said "with some of the residents there was a fine line between independent and assisted living". Vicki had received many distressed calls from relatives and friends of the residents who were worried about the contracts, and she was appalled by the misleading conduct of the marketers.
EWON confirmed with the provider that all the contracts had been cancelled, with the exception of two cases where the residents were happy to take up the offer.
Billing system causes stress
Penny entered a contract because a friend recommended she sign up for green energy. As part of the contract she agreed to pay $35 per month and understood her account would be reconciled every six months. A year into her contract she received a letter from the retailer informing her the monthly payments had been recalculated and she would need to pay $65 per month.
Penny relied on a disability support pension for her income and couldn't afford this monthly payment because of her medical expenses. She asked the retailer to explain the increase but they failed to respond to her request for information.
We contacted the retailer to check the billing and confirmed that Penny had arrears of $220 on her account. Penny said she wasn't happy with the retailer's billing system and that it had caused her a great deal of stress. She wanted to return to her original provider.
We spoke to the retailer who agreed to release Penny from the contract without penalty and transfer her account to her original provider.
Account transfer questioned
Amanda contacted EWON on behalf of her mother who found her electricity account had been switched to another provider. Amanda contacted the retailer and was told her father had agreed to a contract.
Amanda told EWON her father had died recently and while he may have agreed to a contract, he was 87 years old and terminally ill at the time. Amanda didn't think he understood what he was signing and he hadn't spoken to her mother about transferring their account.
Her mother wanted to return to her original provider so Amanda closed the new account. When her mother received the final bill she had been charged a termination fee. Amanda felt this wasn't right.
We contacted the retailer who agreed to waive the termination fee and all charges associated with the account in view of the circumstances.
Pensioner's water supply restricted
Theo owed his water provider more than $1500 and his supply was restricted when he couldn't pay. He had received a disability support pension for the past 13 years and had gradually fallen behind in paying his bills as his illness worsened. Theo was willing to speak to a financial counsellor and seek emergency assistance but he wasn't able to ring out as his phone was restricted.
EWON contacted community agencies about Theo's circumstances and they said they were able to assist with $100 PAS (Payment Assistance Scheme) vouchers. We spoke with the provider who checked the bills and advised that Theo's pension rebate had dropped off the account ten years before.
The provider re-applied the pension rebate to his account for this time and following their reconciliation he was refunded $2026 and no longer required emergency assistance.
Carrying utility debt following a marriage break-up
Rosalie's husband left her but the electricity account stayed in his name. Rosalie tried to have the account put in her name but the provider refused.
Rosalie knew there was $549 owing on the account and called her provider about a payment plan. She thought she agreed to $50 per fortnight but the provider recorded $100 per fortnight. When she didn't meet the arrangement the provider disconnected her. When Rosalie tried to get reconnected she was asked to pay $150 upfront, which she couldn't afford.
We contacted her provider and explained the misunderstanding. We also raised the issue that Rosalie had been making payments towards the account but the debt was in her husband's name. The provider agreed to reconnect Rosalie that afternoon and set up an account in her name. Rosalie was not required to take responsibility for her husband's debt.
Disconnected for two years and facing eviction
Paul is a pensioner living in public housing and he called EWON after living without electricity for two years. He had managed to get by with the help of his neighbour but was told by his housing provider that he needed to be reconnected or he would be evicted.
Paul said he had set up Centrepay and was paying $30 per fortnight towards his account, but was not able to get reconnected.
We spoke with the provider who told us Paul owed $1400 and they had tried to contact him about their customer assistance program. They said they would reconnect him that day if he agreed to go on their customer assistance program.
Paul agreed to a payment plan and was reconnected. We provided him with referrals to community agencies so he could seek EAPA assistance.
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