Complaints

One of the Commission’s functions is to investigate complaints against licensed electricity industry participants.

The Electricity Reform Act 2000 provides the following grounds of complaint against an electricity licensee:

• the electricity licensee is engaging in conduct that is contrary to one (or more) of its licence conditions
• the electricity licensee is engaging in conduct contrary to the objects of the Electricity Reform Act 2000 or the Utilities Commission Act 2000.

A person may only make a complaint if that person:

• is, or may be, adversely affected by the conduct or non-compliance alleged by the person
• is a customer or an electricity licensee.

You can lodge a complaint with the Commission, which:

• should be in writing
• contains details of the grounds of the complaint
• includes sufficient details to show
  • how the complainant is, or may be, adversely affected by the alleged conduct or non-compliance
  • how the complainant has made a genuine, but unsuccessful, attempt to resolve the subject matter of the complaint.

Contact details for the Commission are available on the Contact us webpage.

The Commission will investigate the complaint, unless it reasonably believes the:

• complainant is not, or is unlikely to be, adversely affected by the conduct or non-compliance alleged in the complaint
• complainant has not shown he or she has made a genuine attempt to resolve the subject of the complaint with the electricity entity
• complaint is frivolous or vexatious.