How we resolve complaints

Step 1: Referral to Higher Level or Investigation
When you contact us, we will determine if you have given your energy supplier a reasonable opportunity to resolve your complaint and if we can assist with your complaint. You will then be assigned an investigation officer who will offer to refer your complaint to a higher level or begin a complaint investigation.

Referral to Higher Level (RHL)
The RHL process gives complainants the option to have routine problems escalated to a higher level within the energy company before beginning an official investigation with EOQ. If you choose this option, EOQ will contact a higher level contact within the energy company concerned. The higher-level contact must then contact you by phone within 48 hours or in writing within five business days if phone contact cannot be made. If the problem remains unresolved, you can contact EOQ to begin an investigation.

Investigation
To assist in investigations, we may request information from your energy supplier such as:

account records
copies of letters or other correspondence
technical reports
details of any offers such as compensation, and
reasons for any decisions made by your energy supplier regarding your complaint.

We may also request further action from your energy supplier such as a meter test.

Step 2: Negotiation
If applicable, we will try to negotiate a suitable outcome to your complaint which could be:

an agreed payment plan for an overdue account
reconnection of your energy supply, and
an agreed compensation amount for damage to equipment or property.

Step 3: Conciliation
We may hold a conciliation session between you and your energy supplier to resolve your complaint. During conciliation all parties are given equal opportunity to discuss the issue/s and work through options to reach a mutually acceptable outcome.

Most complaints lodged with us are resolved through negotiation or conciliation.

Step 4: Final order
If a matter cannot be resolved via negotiation or conciliation, the Energy Ombudsman may decide to make a final order against the energy supplier to resolve your case.

The Energy Ombudsman can order energy suppliers to:

pay compensation to consumers
provide a non-monetary solution to remedy the dispute
amend a stated charge under the Energy Ombudsman Act 2006
cancel a negotiated contract, and/or
carry out corrective work.

Timeframe
Your dedicated investigation officer will keep you up to date with the progress of your case, which we will continue to investigate for as long as there are grounds to support further investigation or until the matter is resolved.

See the EOQ complaint resolution flowchart for more information.

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