EWON deals with complaints from NSW electricity and gas customers, and some water customers.
To make a complaint about your energy or water provider:
- contact your provider to tell them about your problem, ask if they can help and what they intend to do
- make a note of the name of person you speak to, the date and time of the call, and what you talked about
- if the call centre staff can’t help you, ask to speak to a senior staff member
- if the matter is complicated and not urgent, it may be better to send an email or letter to the person who is dealing with your complaint.
Keep copies of any letters or emails you send the provider about your complaint. We can only investigate complaints about our members.
When to contact us
Contact us when:
- you've spoken to your provider but they've been unable to resolve the problem
- you're not satisfied with their response.
Submit your complaint online or call 1800 246 545. If you have been disconnected, or are at risk of being disconnected, please call us.
Read what you can complain about and how we manage complaints. You can contact us at any time if you would like independent advice.
Our staff are here to help - please treat them in a respectful and polite manner. View the EWON Interaction Principles for information on the expected behaviour of providers, customers and EWON employees when resolving disputes.
What we need from you
We will ask for your contact details, the name of your provider, an outline of your complaint and the outcome you are seeking.
Try to describe the main events leading to your complaint in a logical order and as briefly as possible. It may be helpful to write these down before submitting your complaint.
If your complaint relates to a high bill and you believe the bill is incorrect, it's important that you provide an explanation detailing the complaint. This can include details of the disputed bill such as the billing period, the billed amount, whether the bill is based on actual or estimated meter reading, the reason you dispute the bill and whether you are comparing the disputed bill to another bill.
Keep letters, bills or notes relevant to the complaint in one file. We will let you know if we need any information or documentation. Please give us a phone number we can contact you on during the day or an email address.
To resolve your complaint we may need to discuss the information you give us with your provider. We will only give the provider information relevant to your complaint.
Making a complaint on behalf of another person
For privacy reasons we can't move ahead with the complaint until we receive authority from the person making the complaint, either verbally or in writing. If you contact us on someone else's behalf, we will need verbal or written authority from the person making the complaint or you can complete an Authority to Act Form (PDF) and have it signed by the person you're making the complaint for.
Representatives who charge their clients a fee
We provide a free dispute resolution service for all NSW electricity and natural gas customers and some water customers. If someone contacts us representing an energy or water customer, this representative must provide verbal or written authority from the customer.
If it appears the representative is charging the customer for any aspect of the services we're providing, we will contact the customer and advise them that our service is free. If the customer chooses to continue to be represented for a fee, the customer’s wishes will be respected and we will deal with their representative.
However, if the customer advises that they wish to deal directly with us to avoid incurring any costs, we will confirm this in writing with the customer and deal directly with them regarding their energy or water complaint. The customer is responsible for advising the representative they will be dealing with us directly.
This approach to paid representatives is consistent across the Australia and New Zealand Energy & Water Ombudsman Network.
