Your responsibilities
Opening and closing accounts
Most suppliers will send a letter to the occupant to alert
them to the fact that there is no account open for the premises.
It is important that you respond to these letters and open
an account. Failure to do so may result in disconnection of
supply.
By reading your meter and contacting the supplier in advance,
you can ensure continuous connection and avoid paying for
other occupants’ usage. See opening
accounts for more information.
It is your responsibility to tell the electricity, gas
and water supplier when you move into or out of a property.
You can usually open or close an account by contacting the
supplier by telephone.
Access to your meter
You are required to provide meter access to your electricity,
gas or water company so that they can bill you accurately.
Where access to the meter is not possible, your supplier
may estimate your bills. You may be able make other arrangements
such as reading the meter yourself to avoid estimated bills.
However, your supplier must physically read your meter at
least every six months. If the supplier cannot access your
meter and needs to make an appointment with you, they may
charge a special meter-reading fee. See miscellaneous
charges for further details.
Paying bills
You are required to pay your bills on time, or you may
face debt recovery action by your supplier. One of the final
stages in the debt recovery process is electricity or gas
disconnection, or water restriction. See energy disconnection
or water restriction for information on your rights in these
circumstances.
Suppliers may be entitled to transfer an old debt to your
current account. The supplier may also refer the debt to
a debt collection agency. If you believe that a debt should
not have been transferred, speak to your electricity,
gas or water
supplier, or contact
us.
Your installation
The supplier is responsible for maintaining the network
of poles, wires and pipes that distribute energy and water.
You are responsible for the maintenance of the installation
up to the point that you connect to this network. If, for
example, there is a leak in the water pipe leading from
your house to the water meter, you may be responsible for
the costs associated with fixing that leak.
For more information on your responsibilities, speak to
your electricity, gas
or water supplier, or contact
us.
New connections
In areas that don’t already have an electricity,
gas or water network, you may have to pay for the costs
of extending the existing network to your property. If you
are thinking of purchasing a property in a rural area or
new residential estate that does not already have utilities
connected you should find out who is responsible for the
connection costs, and how much those costs are likely to
be. Connection costs can sometimes run into tens of thousands
of dollars. Contact your electricity,
gas or water
supplier for further information.
Supply upgrades
You may also be responsible for paying for the costs involved
if you request an upgrade to your existing supply. If, for
example, you have an existing connection and would like
to upgrade your supply in order to install an air conditioner,
you may be asked to contribute to the cost of the upgrade.
If you are thinking about upgrading your supply contact
your electricity, gas
or water supplier to discuss your
responsibilities and the associated costs.
