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High accounts, payment difficulties, and fees and charges were the top complaints from Queensland's energy consumers last financial year according to the Energy Ombudsman Queensland's (EOQ) second annual report which was released today.
"In total, EOQ closed over 13,400 cases in 2008-09 nearly doubling the number of cases from our first year of operation in 2007-08," Energy Ombudsman Barry Adams said.
"Account issues again topped EOQ's case load making up nearly 70 per cent of all complaints investigated.
"Energy affordability was a problem for many of the people who contacted our scheme and is likely to continue as the global financial crisis and unemployment trends look set to prevail.
"I urge people who are experiencing payment difficulties to contact their energy supplier immediately to discuss payment options and find out ways to keep costs down in the future."
An increase in billing related complaints towards the beginning of 2009 brought to our attention that a number of south-east Queensland residents were not receiving their electricity bills on time or, in some cases, at all.
"Many customers were concerned that once they finally received their bill, they'd only have a few weeks to pay an account for six months or more of electricity consumption," Mr Adams said.
"EOQ officers worked closely with the electricity retailers involved to resolve the issue by setting up payment plans, negotiating extensions to the due dates for payment, and establishing Centrepay agreements."
Although many Queenslanders have been able to choose their energy retailer for over two years now, Mr Adams said that some still found the market confusing with complicated contract terms and conditions, and bills that were hard to understand.
"Errors and delays in account transfers of customers who switched retailers were also common problems that EOQ staff provided assistance with during 2008-09," he said.
"I am very pleased with the running of our scheme. Having assisted over 20,000 Queenslanders in our first two years, EOQ has firmly established itself as an essential and valuable service for residential and small business energy consumers who are unable to resolve a complaint with their energy supplier."
Mr Adams said it was important people gave their energy suppliers the opportunity to resolve the problem first.
"But if you are not happy with their response, free assistance from EOQ is readily available."
ENDS
For more information, download a copy of the EOQ 2008-09 Annual Report.
