Penalties for poor electricity standards

A free brochure is available outlining the payments electricity consumers can expect if poor service standards are experienced is now available from the office of Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes.

Earlier this year, the Essential Services Commissioner strengthened the uaranteed Service Level (GSL) payments to electricity customers whose level of electricity supply service falls below the required standard.

Dr Sykes said, “The five electricity suppliers in Victoria are now obliged to pay customers for poor service standards and certain supply interruptions.

“GSL payments apply to the cumulative amount of time off-supply and the number of sustained interruptions per calendar year”.

Dr Sykes continued, “The GSL Scheme, entitles customers to:

• $20 if the distributor is more than twenty minutes late for an appointment with a customer;
• $50 per day to a maximum of $250 if the distributor does not supply
  electricity to the customer on the day agreed;
• $10 if you report a faulty public light which is maintained by your distributor and that public light is not repaired within two business days of being notified, and you are the occupier of the neighbouring residence or business.”
• $100 payment if you experience more than 20 hours of unplanned, sustained interruption in a calendar year; $150 for more than 30 hours, and $300 for more than 60 hours.

The above payment provisions exclude the impact of certain events such as failure of the state-wide transmission system or insufficient transmission.

GSL payments do not cover faults caused by customer’s damaged equipment blowing a mains fuse or faulty safety switches.

Dr Sykes concluded by saying, “Distributors can be contacted by ringing the following telephone numbers”.

AGL ……………………..1300 796 011
Powercor…………………13 22 06
CitiPower …………....….1300 301 101
SP AusNet …………...…1300 360 795
United Energy (Alinta)… 1300 131 689