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For immediate release
19 August 2003
Billing tops
complaints to Electricity Complaints Commissioner
Electricity Complaints Commissioner Judi
Jones presented her first full annual report at the commission’s
general meeting today, advising that with more than 3000 customer
contacts to date, the organisation had experienced rapid growth.
The commission was set up in October 2001
and the commissioner was appointed in January 2002, so the
period to 31 March 2003 was the first full financial year
of business for the office. The general meeting was held at
The Wellesley in Wellington.
Billing issues made up more than 70 percent
of the files that went to investigation.
Ms Jones said it was pleasing that the greater
percentage of complaints have been settled by agreement between
the customer and the member company and that while more than
1800 customers had filed a complaint, only 275 of these had
reached deadlock. In addition, almost all deadlocked files
were settled by agreement. She had dealt with 14 recommendations,
of which nine were settled between the customer and the company.
On five occasions, one party or the other made submissions,
requiring the commissioner to deal with the complaint by issuing
a recommendation. Of these, three complaints were upheld and
two were not.
Commission chairperson Alison Paterson spoke
to the meeting saying she was delighted that almost all retailer
and lines companies had joined the scheme, with Horizon, Network
Tasman and Buller Electricity joining in the past financial
year. Mainpower has joined since then and Energy Online and
Fresh Start customers are covered by the scheme since Genesis,
already a member, purchased them.
The commission is looking for 100 percent
membership and two retail and three lines companies are currently
not covered by the scheme. The commission was pleased to end
the year 15 percent under budget and member companies will
be entitled to a credit in their invoice for the second instalment
of the levy later this year.
She said the commission had initiated an
independent review of the Code of Practice, as required by
the constitution. The resulting report
and submissions are on the website and the commission
is consulting on the proposed changes to the code.
ENDS
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