Paying power bills an issue: NSW Ombudsman
Billing and affordability - reflected in a 30 per cent jump in customers struggling to pay bills - are the biggest issues for thousands of NSW energy customers.
A record 37,485 complaints were received for the 2013-2014 period, the Energy and Water Ombudsman annual report released Thursday shows.
And there's been a 30 per cent jump in the number of power users struggling to pay their bills.
Clare Petre, Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW, said half the complaints relate to billing and a quarter relate to affordability.
"Customers are face mounting arrears and, in some cases, debt collection or credit listing," she said.
"Most of the complaints that we receive are about electricity, most of them are about billing, most of them are about cost."
Low-income families are being affected, she said.
Electricity prices are however beginning to ease after very significant price increases over the last few years, she told ABC Radio on Thursday.
Ms Petre doesn't think the state government's plan to partially privatise the poles and wires will push complaints higher.
"I don't think the sell-off is the main issue here, I think it is that long tail from the previous increases."
The NSW opposition leader doesn't agree.
"Those prices are going to go even higher, pushing many families to breaking point," John Robertson told ABC Radio.
The report shows disconnection rates have jumped, too.
"Disconnection is the ultimate problem for customers because electricity is such an essential service," Ms Petre said.
But she reminds customers to engage with their energy retailers.
"Pick up the phone. Retailers really do have good customer assistance programs these days and they should be able to offer a whole range of assistance, payment arrangements, time to pay."
Looking forward, Ms Petre says network prices, which are the main driver of the price increases, have eased and are less than inflation.
The Ombudsman say gas affordability will be the next issue for NSW families in the coming year.
