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Wednesday 30 March 2005
Gas consumers get access to independent
dispute resolution
Gas consumers who use reticulated natural
gas will be able to take complaints about their supply to
the office of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner
from 1 April 2005.
Today (Wednesday 30 March 2005) Energy Minister
Hon Trevor Mallard marked the addition of gas to the commissioner
scheme at a breakfast event in Wellington attended by people
from the electricity and gas industries, consumer advocate
groups, other consumer complaints schemes, community organisations
and relevant Government ministries (Consumer Affairs, Economic
Development, Social Development, Electricity Commission).
The event also launched the new name and
logo of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission, formerly
the Electricity Complaints Commission.
The electricity and gas industries legislation
and the Government Policy Statements (GPS) on gas and electricity
make provision for consistent frameworks to apply to both
the electricity and gas sectors. In September last year the
gas industry applied to join the Electricity Complaints Commissioner
Scheme from 1 April, 2005.
Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner
Judi Jones says many of the issues facing gas customers are
similar to issues her office is already dealing with for electricity
consumers.
"We've already had a number of complaints
about dual fuel bills but have only been able to deal with
the electricity aspect of these complaints," Ms Jones says.
"The experience of Australian schemes that
have taken on gas having had electricity is that the issues
are similar and that there is an increase in complaints once
they added gas. We are expecting billing and quality of supply
to be the main issues.
" As with electricity complaints, gas consumers
will need to complain to their supply company first. If their
complaint is not resolved, they can bring it to the office
of the commissioner for independent resolution assistance.
Ms Jones says it is a requirement of the
Government that the gas industry establish a consumer complaint
resolution scheme and it makes sense to tap into the existing
electricity complaints scheme.
"We have an established office, an experienced
staff and a framework in place already," she says.
There are about 230,000 reticulated natural
gas consumers and they are all in the North Island. There
are 10 gas supply/retail companies and membership of the scheme
is voluntary. NGC, Vector, Genesis and Wanganui Gas have signed
up and another three companies (Powerco, Contact and Mercury)
have indicated they will also sign up.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Josie Vidal
Publicity/Communications Officer
Electricity Complaints Commission
(04) 914 4526 0274 757 305
j.vidal@electricitycomplaints.co.nz
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