Billing error leads to goodwill payment and payment plan
CATEGORYA newly established business did not receive electricity bills for a year, then received several bills in arrears.
A newly established business in regional Western Australia opened an electricity account with their Retailer. Due to an error in the Retailer’s billing system, the business did not receive any electricity bills for nearly a year.
Once the error was identified, several bills were issued at once, accompanied by an offer from the Retailer for a payment plan to address the arrears. The customer raised their concerns with the Retailer; however, this failed to resolve their complaint. The customer complained to the Energy and Water Ombudsman.
The Energy and Water Ombudsman’s investigation confirmed the bills were an accurate reflection of electricity consumed by the customer and that under the Customer Code the Retailer may recover an amount undercharged within the previous 12 months.
However, the failure to be issued timely bills can impact a business’ cash flow and inhibit their ability to monitor and thereby moderate their usage in real time. To resolve the complaint, the Retailer provided a goodwill payment and a 12-month payment arrangement for the balance.