Ombudsman involvement leads to urgent reconnection

A customer complained to the Energy Ombudsman that they had been disconnected for consuming electricity without entering into a contract with a retailer. The customer had been under the mistaken impression that their employer, who owned the home, had already established an account.

As the retailer had not been afforded an opportunity to resolve the complaint, the Energy Ombudsman advised the customer to approach the retailer and, if the matter was not resolved, to contact the Energy Ombudsman again.

Shortly afterwards, the customer informed the Energy Ombudsman that, given the genuine confusion over who was to establish the account, the retailer had undertaken to reconnect the property, but this would take a number of days. The customer was concerned about the welfare of their young child over this period, in particular due to a lack of power to cool the house in very hot weather conditions. The Energy Ombudsman approached the retailer, who was previously unaware that a young child was at the property and undertook to reconnect the property in a few hours.