Customer service standards

Electricity, gas and water suppliers in New South Wales must provide a specified level of service in conducting business with their customers. We have listed the most important electricity and gas customer service standards.

Service standards differ for water consumers. Ask your water supplier for a copy of their service standards, or visit their website.

Disconnection
Electricity and gas companies can only disconnect supply under certain circumstances. See energy disconnection for details.

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.