What are my rights around disconnections?
A disconnection usually happens 48 days after an electricity bill has been issued, if no payment has been made.
My home
Make sure your retailer is has your current cell phone and landline numbers and any relevant email addresses. Easy communication will assist you when dealing with a potential disconnection.
Retailers
Retailers should provide plenty of notice in the event of a potential disconnection. There is a set process that must be followed in the lead-up to a disconnection to provide consumers with a number of opportunities to avoid disconnection.
What happens with a disconnection?
Your retailer needs to make a reasonable effort to contact you before disconnecting your power.
If you don’t pay your bill, your retailer should contact you to let you know it is overdue.
If the bill is still not paid you'll be sent a notice of disconnection at least 7 days before the disconnection takes place.
What can I do to prevent a disconnection?
If you are struggling to pay your bill contact your electricity retailer as soon as you can to discuss options.
If you do get disconnected, as soon as you've met the requirements for reconnection (usually by paying off the debt), your retailer should reconnect your power.
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