what to do if my electricity is disconnected

Learn more near how to avoid disconnection of your electricity, gas or h2o supply and the rules in identify to protect you.

If yous're having difficulty paying your pecker and are facing disconnection, contact your provider and ask how they tin can help. All providers have a customer aid program, and must offer you payment options if you lot demand it. They can also help you access emergency assistance (Energy Accounts Payment Assist (EAPA) or  Water Payment Assistance Scheme (PAS) vouchers). If you act early, you can avoid disconnection.

If you have been disconnected, you will normally take to pay something towards your account or concord to a payment plan for the provider to reconnect you. If your provider agrees for you to pay the bill over time, they will normally try to send a field officer to your abode the same 24-hour interval to reconnect the supply. Sometimes, particularly if you have been disconnected at the pole or y'all contact the provider late in the afternoon, y'all may not exist reconnected until the following day.

If you lot have been asunder and can't work out an arrangement with your supplier to get reconnected, call us on 1800 246 545. Our services are gratis, off-white and contained.

El ectricity and gas disconnection rules

In that location are rules about when and how a provider can disconnect your electricity or gas supply. These are set up out in the National Energy Retail Rules.

More often than not electricity or gas disconnection occurs at the meter box. In the instance of electricity, if the meter is not accessible or the supply has been reconnected without the provider's authorization, the provider may arrange a pole tiptop disconnection.

If you have an overdue bill and demand a payment program, you demand to contact your retailer. An energy provider cannot disconnect your supply for non-payment if y'all are on their hardship plan or if yous have advised them you are experiencing financial difficulty, unless in the previous 12 months, the provider has twice offered you a payment plan or help under their hardship plan.

Your electricity or gas supply cannot exist disconnected:

• when you have an appointment with a community bureau well-nigh EAPA vouchers and your provider has been given the appointment details
• when you lot or someone in your house runs a life back up car that uses electricity and your energy provider is aware of this (it will be noted in your account details)
• on a Friday, Saturday, Lord's day, a public holiday or any twenty-four hour period earlier a public holiday
• before 8am and later 3pm
• where the debt is for less than $300 and you have agreed with the retailer to pay this amount
• on the days between 20 December and 31 December (both inclusive) in any year
• when you lot are adhering to a formal payment plan
• when you have a formal complaint, related to the arrears, with your retailer or with EWON (either your retailer or EWON need to take confirmed with you there is a concur on disconnection activeness).

Your electricity or gas supply tin be disconnected when:

• you don't contact the retailer to open up an account or to pay for free energy y'all've used
• you don't pay an overdue amount
• you lot don't concur to whatever of the retailer's payment plan offers
• you lot don't proceed to your payment programme, you miss a payment or your payment is late
• your payment programme is cancelled
• you don't maintain contact with the provider (for case, you don't allow them know you lot have an EAPA appointment or you lot've fabricated a payment)
• you haven't paid a security eolith
• the wiring or gas piping in your home is unsafe.

Before they disconnect

Providers must follow a number of steps before they disconnect you, including issuing you with at to the lowest degree two written notices - a reminder and a disconnection warning. The disconnection warning notice can be issued at to the lowest degree half-dozen business days after the reminder notice. The disconnection warning notice should state:

• the reason/south for disconnection
• the date when the alert period ends and that payment must be made during the alarm period
• the reconnection procedures and that there is a charge for reconnection
• that you tin can contact EWON and include our  contact details
• the phone number for the retailer and the distributor.

Later on they ship y'all the disconnection warning observe, your energy provider must make reasonable attempts to contact you, to give you the take a chance to make a payment or enter into a payment arrangement. They may contact you by phone, fax or in person.

Fees

In most circumstances, you'll have to pay a disconnection and reconnection fee. Fees are set by the Australian Energy Regulator and non by the companies themselves. At that place may likewise exist extra fees if y'all want to exist reconnected afterwards hours (afterwards 3pm weekdays) or y'all have been disconnected at the pole rather than the meter box.

If the provider has asunder you by fault, or without taking reasonable steps to contact you, they should not charge y'all a fee.

Shortened collection bicycle

If yous have received a reminder or warning notice for two bills in a row, your retailer can identify you lot on a shortened collection cycle. This means that instead of receiving two written notices, the retailer only has to send you 1. They withal take to make attempts to contact yous. And they also have to warn yous that you are at risk of being placed on the shortened collection cycle, before they send you a notice for the second neb in a row.

If yous pay the next 3 bills in a row past the due appointment, you will be removed from the shortened collection bicycle.

If you are experiencing fiscal difficulties or are on the retailer's hardship programme, you cannot be placed on the shortened collection cycle.

Water restriction

H2o is unremarkably non disconnected because of the impact on public wellness. However, h2o can exist restricted to allow only a very express flow to the property.

Hunter Water and Sydney Water take customer contracts that regulate restriction practices. The following guidelines employ to customers of these two h2o suppliers.

Grounds for restriction

Hunter Water and Sydney Water can restrict if y'all:

• fail to pay any amount due
• fail to ensure access to the meter
• have non-compliant plumbing work
• alienation a relevant law
• belch unauthorised merchandise waste water
• discharge chemicals that pose a health chance
• fail to install a backflow prevention device when required
• use recycled water improperly
• do non comply with the terms of the customer contract.

Notification of restriction

Unlike electricity and gas, water suppliers are not required to follow a legislated notification schedule. Sydney Water and Hunter Water volition notify customers in writing and may attempt to contact you  by phone or in person before the water is restricted.

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Source: https://www.ewon.com.au/page/customer-resources/disconnection-or-restriction

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