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An embedded network customer disputes the accuracy of her hot water billing

Mrs Sims had lived at an apartment with an individual hot water meter for four months. Her meter indicated that she had used approximately 9,500 litres of hot water in that time. The customer complained that the billing agent for the building had issued her bills that showed she was using 4,500 litres per month. The meter readings on the bills she received did not match her reading of the meter.

Mrs Sims contacted the billing agent to complain but did not receive a response for months. She also complained that she paid her first bill by direct debit and the billing agent then continued to deduct payments from her account without permission. The billing agent told her that direct debit was the only payment option provided. EWON advised the customer that we were limited in the assistance we could provide as the billing agent providing the hot water service was a not an authorised energy retailer or a member of EWON. Mrs Sims provided EWON with her billing information and EWON contacted the billing agent to confirm what action was being taken to address her complaint. The billing agent advised that Mrs Sims' meter was identified as faulty and would be replaced. The billing agent then contacted the customer and offered her a credit to the account of $300 which would average her hot water usage for the disputed period to 3,000 litres per month.

Category: Complaint enquiry
Issue: Billing
Outcomes: Facilitated resolution

Added August 2019

Billing: Embedded network customer disputes high bill for bundled hot water and cook top gas charges

A customer moved into an apartment building with an embedded network. The customer opened an account with the retailer in July 2018 after receiving an invoice addressed to the ‘Unit Occupier’. The bill was for the energy used to heat the hot water and supply charges for unmetered cook top gas. The customer then received a re-issued bill covering the period from the date of connection (March 2018). The customer complained to EWON, via an interpreter, that she felt the re-issued bills were too high. The customer was also concerned that the payment she made of $368.10 was not noted on the bill.

The customer contacted the retailer which advised her that the billing was based on digital meter data and was correct. The customer was confused about what charges (electricity, hot water, or cook top gas) were contributing to the higher than expected bill. The customer agreed to have her complaint referred to the embedded network retailer at a higher level, knowing she could return to EWON if an agreed outcome could not be negotiated (#324804). The retailer notified EWON that it responded to the customer’s complaint by email on 9 October 2018.

The customer contacted EWON again on 19 October 2018 to advise that she had not received a response from the retailer. The retailer advised EWON that the customer’s payment of $368.10 was received on the same day the bill was issued. The retailer also advised EWON that it had engaged the meter data provider to investigate the meter readings following the customer’s complaint.

The meter data provider provided a photograph of the customer’s meter which confirmed the correct billing of the account. The retailer noted that more information could have been provided to the customer at the first point of contact about how its hot water billing worked. The customer contacted EWON again on 29 January 2019 to advise that the retailer had contacted it and resolved the complaint.

Category: Level 2 Investigation
Issue: Billing
Outcomes: Facilitated resolution

Added May 2019