Useful contacts for consumers.
Retailers
Electricity and natural gas retailers are the companies that bill you for your electricity and/or natural gas service.
Contact your retailer for questions about:
- getting connected to the network
- electricity meters and meter reading
- arranging for electricity or natural gas to be supplied to a home or business
- electricity and natural gas sales by door-to-door or telephone sales people, including questions about:
- the accuracy of representations made by a salesperson
- the way in which an electricity or natural gas contract was sold to you – for example, if the sales person used coercion
- rights in relation to cancelling a contract
- a new contract that was entered into without your consent
- your energy bills – including energy prices, discounts, payment, energy usage, concessions, contracts, solar and renewable energy.
Energy retailer contact details
Distributors
Electricity and natural gas distributors own and maintain the distribution networks, including electricity powerlines and power poles, and natural gas pipelines that carry electricity and natural gas to houses and businesses. They are also responsible for natural gas meters.
Contact your distributor for questions about:
- natural gas meters and meter reading
- powerlines and natural gas pipelines connecting a home or business to the network
- electricity or gas outages
- problems with supply quality, such as low voltage electricity – for example, low voltage may be the cause of dimming lights.
Distributors and their contact details
Ombudsman schemes
Energy ombudsman schemes receive, investigate and facilitate the resolution of consumer complaints about electricity and gas companies. Their services are free to consumers.
There are different ombudsman schemes for each state/territory.
| State | Ombudsman | Telephone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal | 02 6207 1740 | www.acat.act.gov.au |
| New South Wales | Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW | 1800 246 545 | www.ewon.com.au |
| Queensland | Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland | 1800 662 837 | www.ewoq.com.au |
| South Australia | Energy and Water Ombudsman South Australia | 1800 665 565 | www.ewosa.com.au |
| Tasmania | Energy Ombudsman Tasmania | 1800 001 170 | www.energyombudsman.tas.gov.au |
| Victoria | Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) | 1800 500 509 | www.ewov.com.au |
Independent state/territory energy regulators
Independent state/territory energy regulators are currently responsible for:
- the monitoring and enforcement of state energy retail laws
- setting maximum retail prices for standard retail contracts for electricity in all states except Victoria, and for standard contracts for gas in NSW and South Australia.
Regulators also have some residual roles in distribution, including establishing and monitoring of Guaranteed Service Level schemes. These are schemes requiring electricity distributors to maintain a prescribed level of service, for example, by minimising the number and length of outages, and requiring retailers to make payments to consumers if this service level is not maintained.
Contact your state/territory independent energy regulator for questions about:
- Guaranteed Service Level schemes (that is, state/territory schemes providing compensation for poor energy quality – such as frequent blackouts)
- regulated retail energy prices – for consumers in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Tasmania and South Australia; for consumers in Victoria, price-related questions should be directed to your energy retailer.
Regulators and their contact details
State/territory energy departments
State/territory governments are responsible for government administered energy programs and rebate schemes that include:
- solar power schemes and other renewable energy schemes
- energy efficiency advice
- state government energy efficiency programs and rebates.
State/territory energy departments and their contact details