Making a complaint
The Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner is Judi Jones, a Wellington-based lawyer and former chair of the Consumers' Institute board.
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Steps to take
Before you make a complaint to the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner, you must make a formal complaint to your electricity retailer or, where appropriate, your local lines company. To clarify the nature of your complaint, you may want to first write to the company concerned. It is important to use the word complaint so that the company is in no doubt that you are beginning the complaints procedure.
The company then has 20 working days to respond to your complaint.
If at the end of this time, you are not able to resolve your complaint with the company, you can complain to the Commissioner's office.
Contact the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner
- email: [javascript protected email address]
- website: www.egcomplaints.co.nz
- phone: 0800 22 33 40
- mail: Freepost 192682, PO Box 5875, Wellington 6145.
Complaints not covered by the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner
If your electricity company is not a member of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme, or the issue you want to complain about arose before 1 October 2001, you should complain directly to your power company. If you require further resolution, contact the Disputes Tribunal.
The Commerce Commission also handles complaints about power companies, but its jurisdiction is limited to practices covered by the Fair Trading and Commerce Acts.
If your complaint is with a company that is a State Owned Enterprise, you can contact the Office of the Ombudsmen.