Read case studies of customers we've helped with disconnections. Personal details have been changed to protect our customer's privacy
Two months after opening an account and paying the first bill Amanda was disconnected by another retailer.
Outcome: Amanda’s preferred retailer acknowledged it had opened the customer’s account at the wrong address. It immediately cancelled that account and provided her with a refund of the amount paid and a $250 customer service gesture.
Mistakes happen. If your provider can’t resolve your problem, contact us.
John contacted us in mid-January 2020 as his water supply had been completely disconnected by his provider.
He had received a water restriction notice dated 22 November 2019 for $410. However, this notice did not have any date of effect. He had not paid his last water bill because he was on a holiday. His phone was reachable during this time but the provider did not try to call him.
John advised he would pay $410 on 16 January 2020. His provider advised him his water supply would be restored once he paid a reconnection fee.
John asked us to investigate whether the water disconnection was compliant and whether it was fair that he was being charged a reconnection fee.
Our investigation found that John’s water had been disconnected by a contractor. The provider’s system didn’t indicate whether he was disconnected or restricted. It confirmed that the order affecting John’s water supply was cancelled when he entered into a payment arrangement. The provider was also confused about two properties for which John held water accounts. The disconnection was applied to the wrong address.
We also found that the water disconnection was not compliant as a reminder notice wasn’t issued. Rather than a disconnection, it should have also been a restriction of supply.
Outcome: The provider agreed to reconnect the water supply as quickly as possible. It also offered a $500 goodwill gesture to John in recognition of the disconnection and an additional $80 goodwill gesture. It also agreed to waive any disconnection and reconnection fees. John accepted the resolution and was happy.
A customer complained to EWON that her air conditioning service and hot water supply had been disconnected due to non-payment of her energy debt. The customer advised EWON that she had an account for centralised services within her building (air conditioning and hot water) and had accumulated a significant debt of over $5,000 due to unemployment. The customer had contacted the authorised electricity retailer and agreed to a payment plan of $300 a month. An error then occurred with the customer’s direct debit and her payment failed, causing cancellation of the payment plan. The customer contacted the authorised electricity retailer again to request reconnection and re-establish the payment plan of $300 a month. The retailer refused her request and demanded full payment of her debt of over $5,000 to be reconnected. The customer advised that the disconnection would impact her three children.
EWON contacted the electricity retailer to clarify the process to disconnect the customer, including how the customer was notified. The retailer advised there were no specific rules for disconnection as air conditioning and hot water were not essential services. EWON noted that the customer considered hot water a necessity to look after her three children. The retailer advised that the customer had failed two payment plans and the debt was now $5,088. EWON negotiated with the electricity retailer to reconnect the hot water supply, but not the air conditioning, and to re-establish the direct debit payment arrangement of $300 a month. EWON spoke with the customer again, and she confirmed that the hot water supply had been reconnected and that she had set up her direct debit for $300 a month.
