By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
COMPLAINTS to the Energy and Water Ombudsman from the Barwon region have increased almost 25 per cent, according to the organisation’s annual report.
The rise follows an increase of 26 per cent the previous year.
The surge in cases outstripped the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria’s state-wide increase of 22 per cent over the previous financial year.
The ombudsman received 3584 cases from the Barwon region in 2012/2013, an increase of 880 over 2011/2012. The ombudsman received 74,566 cases statewide.
Geelong produced 3161 cases, Borough of Queenscliffe 37 and Surf Coast Shire 386 compared with 2401, 15 and 288 respectively the previous financial year.
Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said the state-wide figures highlighted a growing customer awareness of energy and water issues and ongoing systemic problems with company billing systems.
The range of billing-related solar issues emerged as more customers took up solar power, she said.
“Clearly, customers are becoming more and more familiar with the billing, cost and consequences of the energy and water they use.
“During 2012/2013 we saw this reflected in their concerns about rising costs, affordability, payment difficulties and energy disconnection or water restriction.”
The report said billing accounted for 53 per cent of all issues, an increase of 26 per cent. The top three billing issues were high bills, errors and delays.
The next most common complaint was credit, with 19 per cent more customers raising it as their main issue than in 2011/2012. The top credit issue was energy supply disconnection.
“We believe there’s a strong correlation between the 19 per cent increase in our credit-related cases and the rising cost of energy and water in Victoria,” said Ms Gebert.
Last week’s Independent reported claims from former Surf Coast councillor Ron Humphrey that his investigation of eletricity smart meter billing suggested power retailers were ripping off customers.
Mr Humphrey said the retailers were overcharging as they struggled to read time-of-use data from the new meters.
