Electricity networks

In NSW there are three electricity networks: Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy and Ausgrid.  

Electricity connection services 

Connection service complaints often occur when customers are required to act or meet specific network requirements. These complaints often involve questions about asset ownership, maintenance responsibilities, compliance requirements and the processes for establishing, altering or maintaining a network connection. The key themes for network complaints received in the July to September 2026 were:

• Compliance and defect notices – complaints in which customers are required to complete work or obtain certifications to meet network requirements. Customers often question the reasons for defect notices, the scope and cost of rectification works, and process for demonstrating compliance. 

• New connections, alterations, maintenance and repairs – customers report delays, changing requirements and administrative complexity when arranging connections or alterations. They also raise concerns about the cost of required work and the quality of repairs, installations or maintenance. 

• Consumer energy resources – complaints mainly involve solar generation and battery systems. Customers reported frustration with connection requirements, application processes and administrative responsibilities. Customers are also concerned when changes affecting their solar systems are not clearly communicated, or where works notifications or connection changes disrupt their systems. 

• Private poles – private poles are any power poles, powerlines and other electricity assets on the customer’s side of the electricity connection point. These privately owned assets are the customer’s responsibility to maintain and replace. Customers complain about uncertainty over ownership, maintenance responsibility and who should pay for repairs, replacement or relocation. These complaints often have significant financial implications and are particularly complex when private infrastructure supplies multiple properties. 

Case study 

 Customer seeking advice about who is responsible for maintaining power poles

Barbara lives on a rural property where four power poles located on her land supply four neighbouring properties. Historically, the relevant property owners contributed equally towards the ongoing maintenance of the poles. Following the sale of one of the neighbouring properties, the new owner declined to contribute to the maintenance costs despite continuing to receive electricity via the poles located on Barbara’s land. Barbara was concerned about the financial burden of maintaining the infrastructure and wanted to understand the rights and responsibilities of the various parties.

As the complaint was about a neighbour dispute it was not within EWON’s jurisdiction. EWON provided Barbara with general advice about the complaint process and referrals for advice about neighbour disputes. Barbara understood she could return to EWON for further advice.

Electricity supply 

Electricity supply complaints accounted for more than a quarter of all electricity network complaints in July to September 2026. Four major themes emerged, with considerable overlap between them, including:

• planned outages 

• unplanned outages 

• power surges 

• quality of supply.

Outages were the largest drivers of network complaints. Both planned and unplanned outages involved the loss of electricity supply and often had similar impacts on customers, but the focus of complaints differed.

Planned outage complaints mainly concerned how outages were communicated and managed. Under rule 90 of the National Energy Retail Rules, network providers are generally required to give at least four business days’ notice of a planned interruption, including the expected date, time and duration of the outage. Customers questioned whether notifications were accurate and detailed enough to allow them to prepare.

Complaints relating to unplanned outages focused on the reliability of supply and how quickly the service was restored.

Across both planned and unplanned outage complaints, common concerns included impacts on vulnerable customers, food spoilage, and business disruption. Customers also raised financial costs including lost income, generator costs and compensation outcomes.

Power surges including complaints about damage to appliances and equipment following supply restoration after an interruption were another common theme. Quality of supply issues were less common but generally involved concerns about voltage fluctuations, low voltage or broader reliability issues affecting the performance of electrical equipment.

Case study 

 Claim for cost of ripple signal filter due to problems with quality of supply  

Barry had been experiencing flickering LED downlights in his newly constructed home during peak evening periods. An electrician attributed the problem to a ripple signal on the electricity network.

Barry contacted his electricity network provider, and after a network technician attended the property, he was advised that installing a ripple signal filter may eliminate this interference.

Barry complained that the network provider gave him a claim form and advised that, after installing the filter, he could submit a claim for reimbursement of the cost. Relying on this advice, Barry arranged for the filter to be installed at a cost of approximately $1,000.   
 
After lodging his claim, Barry was contacted by the network provider and told that they could not reimburse the cost of the filter because ripple control signals were a normal operational feature of its network and, under the Deemed Standard Connection Contract it was not liable for their impacts on customer equipment. The network provider offered to pay $500 to resolve the complaint.

Barry disputed this outcome, maintaining that he would not have proceeded with the installation had they not invited him to submit a claim.

EWON initially referred the complaint to a specialist team at the network provider to try to resolve the issue directly with the customer. However, Barry later returned to EWON as the issue remained unresolved. EWON then engaged with the network provider to obtain further information on Barry’s complaint. The network provider reviewed its initial offer and agreed to make a goodwill offer to cover the full cost of the filter ($1,000). Barry accepted the offer as resolution to the complaint.

Electricity infrastructure 

Network providers are responsible for maintaining the safety and reliability of the electricity network. Many network complaints in July to September 2026 related to work or maintenance to the infrastructure including delays in fixing or failing to maintain the infrastructure. We also received complaints about damage to property because of works conducted by an electricity network.

Some complaints relate to insufficient notification about vegetation management and/or disputes over who is responsible for maintaining vegetation or specific network infrastructure. Customers also raised concerns about electricity network technicians and contractors accessing property without consent and with easements, (an area of land over which the network has rights to install, access and maintain infrastructure) affecting the capacity for owners to develop their land.

Approximately one-third of infrastructure complaints were about the location of poles and other network assets on private land, including restrictions on future development, impacts on property use and uncertainty about responsibility for relocation costs.