Electricity, gas and water providers in New South Wales must provide a specified level of service in conducting business with their customers. A summary of the standards appears below. For more detailed information, check your contract or if you are with a standard retailer, check their standard customer supply contract (a copy will be on their website).
Electricity and gas providers
- Disconnection: There are rules about when an electricity or gas company can disconnect supply, read more on disconnection.
- Connection services: If electricity supply is not connected by a date agreed by the customer and the provider, the provider must pay the customer at least $60 for each extra day (maximum $300).
- Interruption to supply: Providers must give affected customers four days' notice of any planned interruptions to the electricity or gas supply. This does not apply if the work is unplanned or beyond the control of the provider, emergency repairs for example.
- Repairing street lights: Faulty street lights must be fixed by the date agreed to by the provider and the affected consumer. If not, the provider must pay at least $15 in compensation to the customer.
- Telephone standards: Energy providers 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.
For more details see the relevant legislation:
- Electricity Supply (General) Regulation 2001 (PDF)
- Gas Supply (Natural Gas Retail Competition) Regulation 2001 (PDF)
- National Energy Retail Rules
Water
Service standards will be detailed in the standard customer contract. Visit your provider's website for a copy of the contract.
