Energy customers across the State have increasingly turned to the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) to resolve bill complaints following sharp price increases.
In her EWON Insights Oct-Dec 2022 report, the Ombudsman, Janine Young said that in the October-December quarter, the number of customers disputing high bills increased by 16 per cent from the previous quarter and by 83.7 per cent from two quarters ago.
Ms Young said complaints about impending disconnection also emerged as one of her Office’s top 10 core issues, “showing that more people are struggling to pay their bills”.
She said this highlighted that current economic pressures were the cause of the upward trend in complaints.
“In our July to September 2022 EWON Insights we marked a significant increase (30.1 per cent) in complaints from the previous quarter and we are yet to discern if the increase was the result of ongoing economic pressures or seasonal impacts,” Ms Young said.
“While complaints for the October to December 2022 quarter were marginally lower (2.6 per cent), this slight decrease does not take into account reduced number of working days due to the EWON Christmas closure period,” she said.
“The daily average complaints received remains consistent, indicating that the current level of complaints may continue.”
Ms Young said EWON was also continuing to receive complaints from customers impacted by flooding which devastated many parts of the State last year.
She said that in response to the floods, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) issued a letter of expectations to energy retailers about how to support flood affected customers.
“Despite the overall positive response from industry, EWON is still taking complaints from customers whose homes and lives have been devastated,” the Ombudsman said.
“These customers are receiving estimated bills for premises that are uninhabitable, and where the basis of the estimate doesn’t reflect the prior year, as required.”
She said her Office closed 4,600 complaints in the October-December quarter and received 4,471 in return.
The EWON Insights Oct-Dec 2022 report can be viewed at this PS News link.
