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Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria)

2010-05-06T05:37:24Z

EWOV has the power to investigate and resolve disputes between Victorian consumers and their electricity, gas and water companies.

Fairly and independently.
Our services are free to consumers.

We will handle your complaint confidentially, informally and as speedily as possible.
Remember that you must discuss your problem with the customer service people at your electricity, gas or water company first.

Fiona McLeod, Ombudsman

CONTACT EWOV

Freecall:	1800 500 509
Freefax:	1800 500 549
Interpreter:	131 450
NRS: National Relay Service Information If you are deaf, or have a hearing impairment or speech impairment, contact us through the National Relay Service TTY users phone 1800 555 677 then ask for 1800 500 509 Speak and Listen users phone 1800 555 727 then ask for 1800 500 509 Internet relay users connect to the NRS then ask for 1800 500 509	133 677
Email:	ewovinfo@ewov.com.au

COMPANY CONTACTS Electricity Gas Water

TRANSLATIONS

EWOV Connect

2010-05-06T05:37:04Z

EWOV Connect

EWOV's quarterly newsletter for community agencies

Download the latest EWOV Connect - Issue 17 (Autumn)
or read EWOV Connect online

EWOV Fact Sheets

2010-05-06T05:36:51Z

EWOV Fact Sheets

Fact sheet 1: You've lodged your complaint. What happens next?

Fact sheet 2: Information for electricity customers using 40 – 160 MWh/ year

Fact sheet 3: Choosing an energy retailer
A fact sheet to help residential and small business customers learn from the experiences of other customers

Fact sheet 4: High electricity, natural gas or water bills
Information to help residential customers work out why they may have received a bill that's higher than usual

Fact sheet 5: EWOV and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas)
(updated March 2008)
Explains EWOV's new role in handling cases about LPG (also known as bottled gas)

Fact sheet 6: Charges on water bills (regional urban water)
Explains the main charges on the bills of residential customers of regional urban water authorities — and how and when these charges are applied

Fact sheet 7: Charges on water bills (metropolitan water)
Explains the main charges on the bills of residential water customers in metropolitan Melbourne — and how and when these charges are applied

Fact sheet 8: Electricity, gas and water: Information for new transitional housing tenants
Will help transitional housing tenants avoid energy and water hassles

Fact sheet 9: Can't pay your energy or water bill?
What residential customers should do if they can’t pay their bill and payment assistance that may be available

Fact sheet 10: Disconnection and restriction for debt
Will help residential customers understand their rights and responsibilities and the assistance which may be available to them

Fact sheet 11: Electricity, gas and water meters
Explains different meter types and how meter technology is changing

Fact sheet 12: Water Licensing and EWOV
Will help you decide where to lodge a complaint about water licensing

Fact sheet 13: Info for Members of Parliament and Electorate Officers
Will help Members of Parliament and Electorate Officers understand when and how to contact EWOV

Fact sheet 14: Estimated Bills and Meter Access
Explains when and why bills are issued based on estimated meter readings

Fact sheet 15: Smart Electricity Meters
Information about new meter technologies and what changes to expect.

Basic Energy and Water Fact Sheet
Basic information about EWOV and energy providers, for people who speak English as a second language.

ALSO: Essential Services Commission's (ESC's) Your Choice campaign and Energy Comparator
Online sources to help energy customers compare energy offers with their current arrangements

If you would like a printed copy of a fact sheet mailed to you,
please use our Publications Request Form here or email us

Note: We cannot send you a printed version of the ESC's ene

Resolution

2010-05-06T05:36:37Z

Resolution

Resolution is EWOV's mid-year newsletter.

Until 2009, Resolution was produced every six months. From 2009 it will be produced in the first half of the year covering July to December of the previous year, with the Annual Report covering the whole of the year.

Resolution 27 reports on the cases EWOV received from July to December 2008 - overall, by industry, by industry sector, and for individual electricity, gas and water companies.

Customers lodged 17,885 cases - 12% more than in the first half of 2008. 16,762 of these cases were complaints - an increase of 14%.

In Resolution 27, the Ombudsman Fiona McLeod acknowledges that Victoria's energy and water companies operate in complex and changing environments - but expresses EWOV's concerns about the effectiveness of some companies' internal dispute resolution (IDR) processes.

Full PDF of Resolution 27 (2MB)
The big picture - cases overall for Jul - Dec 2008
Electricity cases
Gas cases
Dual fuel cases
Water cases
Explanation of some terms used in Resolution 27
Media release

Resolution Bulletin 12 presents the highlights of Resolution 27 in an easy-to-read, two page format

If you'd like a printed copy of the latest issue of Resolution or Resolution Bulletin mailed to you, please use our 'Publications Request form'

If you have a question about an EWOV publication, you can email us

Previous issues
Resolution 26: Jan - Jun 2008
Resolution Bulletin 11
Resolution 26 media release

Resolution 25: July - Dec 2007
Resolution Bulletin 10
Resolution 25 media release

Resolution 24: Jan - June 2007
Resolution Bulletin 9
Resolution 24 media release

Resolution 23: July - December 2006 (2.5MB)
Resolution Bulletin 8
Resolution 23 media release

Resolution 22: Jan - June 2006 (3MB)
Resolution Bulletin 7
Resolution 22 media release

Resolution 21: July - Dec 2005 (1,780KB)
Resolution Bulletin 6
Resolution 21 media release

For earlier issues of Resolution, you can email us

EWOV Annual Report 2009

2010-05-06T05:36:23Z

EWOV Annual Report 2009

(released Thursday 26 November 2009)

2008/09 was a very busy year for the Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria).
EWOV received 38,533 cases in the year—up 52% on the 25,413 cases received in 2007/08.

Nearly all of those were complaints. There were 36,171 complaints and 2,362 enquiries. 36,173 complaints were finalised during the year.

Cases profile

The source of the increase was complaints, which were up 58% overall. Electricity complaints increased 59%. Natural gas complaints increased 70%. Water complaints went against this trend, increasing by only 8%.

Just on 43% of the total complaints were about one energy company after it carried out a billing system upgrade towards the end of 2007. However, quite a few smaller energy companies had larger percentage increases in their complaint numbers than this company—but off a much smaller base.

EWOV has responded to the challenge of these increased case numbers by giving customers who qualify for an investigated complaint the choice between investigation and referral to a higher level representative of the company. 10,847 customers chose the faster route of referral, knowing that they could come back to us if the referral did not resolve the matter for them. We've made offering this choice a permanent part of our process: it’s quicker for customers, and gives companies another chance to rebuild their relationship with the customer. It means we referred more complaints than we investigated, but even so we investigated 42% more complaints this year than in 2007/08. 7,263 investigated complaints were finalised.

At 45% of all issues, billing was again the most common issue raised by customers overall—in particular, billing errors, high bills and billing delays.

Customer service was the second most common issue at 17%—most commonly about failure to respond, poor service and failure to consult or inform.

Highlights of the Report:

A new table sets out complaint numbers for each company in the scheme over the last four years on page 7 of EWOV: The Numbers.

Read about who were our customers on page 12 of EWOV: The Numbers.

Once again there's a map showing complaint trends by council/shire. Page 15 of EWOV: The Numbers.

Page 16 of EWOV: The Numbers summarises our resolution activity for the year, including customer redress

We highlight systemic issues on pages 20 and 21 of EWOV: The Issues.

Lots of fascinating case studies.

Cases by industry:

electricity

gas

water

Download other sections of the report:

EWOV at Work: Our Team

EWOV at Work: Policy

EWOV at Work: Community

Scheme Participants

Looking Ahead

Financial Statements

Links and Downloads:

Download Media release

More info about 2008/09 cases & issues overall

More info on systemic issues

Download a full version of EWOV's 2009 Annual Report [PDF 1.3MB]

Request a printed copy of EWOV's 2009 Annual Report

Annual reports

2010-05-06T05:36:07Z

Annual reports

Summary of EWOV's 2009 Annual Report — released 26 November 2009.

Download EWOV's 2009 Annual Report [PDF 1.3MB]

Publications | Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria)

2010-05-06T05:35:44Z

Annual Reports

Resolution newsletter

Fact Sheets

EWOV Connect (community agency newsletter)

Hardship Conference 2009 - Presentations

Hardship Conference 2001 - Transcript

Binding Decisions Digest Sept 02

If you'd like a copy of an EWOV publication mailed out to you, please use our Request for EWOV Publications form
If you have a question about an EWOV publication, you can email us

Other publications

Essential Services Commission's Approval of retailers financial hardship policies (July 2007)

Essential Services Commission's Operating Procedure - Compensation for Wrongful Disconnection (effective June 2006)

Committee for Melbourne's Utility Debt Spiral Study
(launched 27 April 2005)

The Utility Debt Spiral Project is a joint research project initiated by the Committee for Melbourne under the auspices of the United Nations Global Compact and utilising the Melbourne Model. The Project is based on the premise that water, electricity and gas bills can be a significant factor in personal debt spirals and the poverty trap. EWOV was a key contributor to the project.

Energy and water codes of practice here

michelle.park's shared items in Google Reader

Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria)

CONTACT EWOV

National Relay Service Information

COMPANY CONTACTS

TRANSLATIONS

EWOV Connect

EWOV Connect

EWOV Fact Sheets

EWOV Fact Sheets

Resolution

Resolution

EWOV Annual Report 2009

EWOV Annual Report 2009

Cases profile

Annual reports

Annual reports

Publications | Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria)