If there is a problem with your bill, or you want to complain about a retailer, there are some simple steps you can follow to help you resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
Problems with a retailer might include:
- you think you were overcharged
- your energy was wrongly cut off
- the retailer did not help you when it was hard to pay your bill
- salespeople keep calling or visiting you after you told them to stop
- salespeople were too pushy, or
- no one told you that you had 10 business days to change your mind.
1. Contact the retailer
First, phone or write to the energy retailer. Tell them:
- what the problem is, and
- how you want it fixed.
This might be all you have to do to fix the problem.
If this does not work, phone the retailer and ask to speak with a senior officer or manager.
Then write down:
- their name
- when you phoned, and
- what you talked about.
If they give you a reference number, write the number down as well.
You can also put your complaint in writing, either by email or mail, so that the retailer has a detailed record of your complaint that you can both refer to later.
If the complaint relates to a problem with your meter, an outage or other supply problem, you need to contact your energy distributor—for more information, see our Faults and emergencies page.
2. Contact the energy ombudsman
If you are still unhappy, contact the energy ombudsman.
The energy ombudsman helps to fix problems between customers and energy retailers. You do not have to pay to use the energy ombudsman.
Their contact details are set out below.
Energy ombudsman contact details |
|
Australian Capital Territory ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal |
02 6207 1740 |
New South Wales Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW |
1800 246 545 |
Northern Territory Office of the Ombudsman NT |
08 8999 1818 |
Queensland Energy and Water Ombudsman QLD |
1800 662 837 |
South Australia Energy and Water Ombudsman SA |
1800 665 565 |
Tasmania Energy Ombudsman TAS |
1800 001 170 |
Victoria Energy and Water Ombudsman VIC |
1800 500 509 |
Western Australia Energy and Water Ombudsman WA |
1800 754 004 |