The Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner’s office provides a free and independent complaint handling service for electricity and gas complaints.
The office is funded by member companies, but remains independent of the industry.
There is no charge to complainants for any assistance provided and the commissioner's phone (0800 22 33 40) and fax numbers (0800 22 33 47) are free to callers. There is also a freepost address (FreePost 192682, Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission, PO Box 5875, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145).
The commissioner, Judi Jones, can look into most complaints about member companies. Common issues include billing, disconnections, damaged property and switching companies. The Commissioner can also consider complaints about actions of staff or contractors while on land, as well as access to and use of land on which there is electricity or gas equipment.
The Commissioner cannot look into the amount companies charge. Companies can make their own commercial decisions about what to charge. However, the commissioner can check that a company has provided accurate information about its tariffs and applied them correctly.
The Commissioner can consider claims for amounts less than $20,000, however her jurisdiction can be increased to $50,000 with the agreement of the member company involved.
The office of the Commissioner uses a wide range of dispute resolution techniques, such as mediation and conciliation in resolving complaints. If the complaint is not resolved, either party can ask the Commissioner to make a decision.
Her decisions are binding on the company involved, but if the consumer does not accept a decision, they can lodge a claim with the Disputes Tribunal or go through the court system or if the company is a State Owned Enterprise (SOE), the consumer can make a complaint to the Office of the Ombudsmen.
