Presentation toPresentation toChronic Illness Alliance Chronic Illness Alliance

& VCOSS forum& VCOSS forum

Thursday 19 October 2006Melbourne

Stephen Gatford, Manager Public Affairs and Policy

Meredith Camov, Conciliator

EWOV’s missionEWOV’s mission

• to provide independent advice, information and referral regarding energy and water services

• to receive, investigate and facilitate the resolution of complaints involving consumers and energy and water service providers in Victoria

• to identify and where appropriate redress, systemic issues and refer these to energy and water providers and regulators

• to work with customer groups and industry to achieve customer service excellence

EWOV’s aimsEWOV’s aims

• to resolve disputes … equitably, confidentially and on an individual basis

• fair, just and independent

• informal rather than legislative

• consideration of wider context- what is fair and reasonable?- what constitutes good industry practice?- what lies within current law?

An industry-based schemeAn industry-based scheme

• industry-based, not statutory

• 66 providers participating in the EWOV scheme at October 2006 (listed on www.ewov.com.au)

• industry pays for failure to resolve customer complaints, not the taxpayer

case costs charged to energy and water providers based on numbers of complaints against them

What EWOV deals withWhat EWOV deals with• the provision and supply of a service

(e.g. connection issues, outages, energy marketing)

• billing (e.g. high bills, delayed bills)

• credit and payment services

• disconnection/restriction

• land (e.g. vegetation near powerlines)

• complaints referred from the Essential Services Commission

• complaints referred by an energy or water provider

What EWOV can’t deal withWhat EWOV can’t deal with

• the setting of prices & tariffs• commercial activities outside licence/core business• government policies• court & tribunal matters• matters required by legislation• customer contributions to cost of capital works• events beyond a provider’s reasonable control,

bearing in mind current law and good industry practice

• actions taken due to a compulsory direction

• electricity, gas (natural and LPG) and water customers, residential and business

• third parties directly affected

• authorised representatives (e.g. financial counsellors)

Who can complain?Who can complain?

How are complaints resolved?How are complaints resolved?

• independent investigation

• 89% of investigated complaints are conciliated - with the customer and provider reaching an agreement

• Binding Decision where no agreement can be reached (only 36 to date)

1. Make a Binding Decision if required, by ordering a provider to:• pay compensation• provide a service• amend or waive a charge/fee• supply goods/services or do corrective work• correct, delete from or add to a customer’s record• attach a complainant’s correction, deletion or addition, or• do, not do or stop doing an act

2. Dismiss the complaint• binding on the provider, not the customer

Ombudsman’s powersOmbudsman’s powers

Limits on Binding DecisionsLimits on Binding Decisions

Ombudsman can make orders to $20,000

or

to $50,000 with the consent of both parties

• Just over 100,000 cases to Sept 2006

• 93% from residential customers• 25% from regional/rural customers

• 94% via phone (no written complaint needed)

• Main issues (January – June 2006)Electricity and gas: Billing, Credit and Retail competitionWater:Billing, Land and Supply

Some EWOV statisticsSome EWOV statistics

January – June 2006 casesJanuary – June 2006 cases

Reflects data run at 24 July 2006.Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.

^ An enquiry is a request from a customer for general information (for example, about relevant codes or guidelines) or a matter that 's referred to another agency (for example, if it's outside EWOV's jurisdiction).

* A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction regarding a policy, practice or customer service performance of an energy or water provider which is part of the EWOV scheme, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected. If a customer has not yet spoken with the energy or water provider about their complaint, EWOV generally refers them back to the provider's contact centre. If the customer has spoken once with someone at the contact centre about their complaint but it remains unresolved, EWOV usually refers them to a higher-level contact at the provider. EWOV fully investigates complaints which remain unresolved following two or more contacts between the customer and the energy or water provider.

Recent case trendsRecent case trends

Disconnection (Electricity and Gas)Disconnection (Electricity and Gas)Restriction (Water)Restriction (Water)Imminent Disconnection/Restriction

• Not been to provider yet?– we refer you to contact centre– disconnection/restriction allowed

• Been to contact centre once?– we refer you to higher level contact– disconnection/restriction allowed

• Been to contact centre more than once or to a supervisor?– we register as complaint for full investigation– disconnection/restriction prevented.

Disconnection/Restriction (cont’d)Disconnection/Restriction (cont’d)Actual Disconnection/Restriction

• Not been to provider yet?– we refer you to higher level contact– reconnection/restriction lifted at discretion of provider

• Been to contact centre once?– we refer you to higher level contact– reconnection/restriction lifted at discretion of provider

• Been to contact centre more than once or to a supervisor?– we register as complaint for full investigation– disconnection/restriction reversed,

no reconnection fee.

• Wrongful disconnection payment– Victorian Government initiative of December 2004– payment by energy retailers where supply is disconnected

contrary to the terms and conditions of the customer’s contract with the retailer

• LPG (liquefied petroleum/bottled gas)– dealing with LPG cases since 1 July 2005– 5 LPG retailers in the EWOV scheme at March 2006 —

Elgas, Kleenheat, Supagas, Powergas, Origin Energy– cases show billing and credit issues

• Utility connection services – 8 known to be operating (e.g. Connect Now, Utility One)– cases show connection and transfer delays, and issues

around choice of retailer and contracts

Issues watch Issues watch

• Resolution and Resolution Bulletin• Annual Report • EWOV Connect• Fact sheets

– We’ve accepted your complaint for investigation: what happens next?

– Choosing an energy retailer– High electricity, natural gas or water bills– EWOV and LPG

• General brochure

• Brochure in fourteen languages

EWOV publicationsEWOV publications

Contacting EWOVContacting EWOV

Freecall: 1800 500 509Calls from restricted phone services:

− ring 12550 (Telstra reverse charges) and quote 9649 7599

− EWOV will accept the reverse charges and the call cost

Calls from mobile phones may attract charges:

− we can ring you back

Freefax: 1800 500 549

Interpreter service: 131 450

National Relay Service: 133 677

Email: ewovinfo@ewov.com.au

Website: www.ewov.com.au