Lengthy delays lead to mounting electricity costs
Unsolicited bills are adding up for Red Energy customers 56 days after new regulations were imposed on electricity retailers.
It's been seven months since the Red Energy customers from one NSW shire nstalled solar panels, and they are still waiting for the installation of advanced or 'smart' meters.
Customers are still waiting for installation of 'smart' meters after solar panels were installed seven months ago. Photo supplied.
Because of the significant delay, Upper Lachlan Shire customers have been privy to inflated bills, and forced to turn off their solar electricity supply. They say it's money lost.
Between October and December 2018, the Energy and Water Ombudsman received 832 digital meter complaints in NSW. Of these, 433 were related to the operation of digital meters, and 399 complaints related to installation delays.
New metering installation timelines have been in effect since February 1 this year.
The Australian Energy Market Commission and federal government imposed maximum time frames upon energy retailers for the installation of advanced or 'smart' meters: a replacement meter is within 15 business days; new connections, within six business days; or within a time frame agreed by the customer.
These rules are expected to decrease complaints about delays significantly, according to a spokesperson from the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON).
However, 45 days after these regulations were enforced, one customer was told to turn off her solar electricity supply, and had to wait another eight days before installation.
Another customer's wait continues: "Meanwhile, I've had two electricity bills and because of the Ombudsman, they agreed to work out how much electricity I would have made ... they would deduct that off that bill," they said.
"Now I have a month where I haven't got a smart meter and that's more money I've lost."
Both customers' bills for the last quarter were double the amount of the same quarter in 2017-18.
According to a spokesperson at EWON, some reasons given by retailers for digital meter installation delays included: shortage of qualified installers; presence of asbestos or other problems with the customer switchboard; or insufficient mobile signal.
Currently, Red Energy relies on accredited subcontracted technicians to fulfill smart meter requests.
"The shortage of technicians is not specific to Red Energy; it's industry wide," a spokesperson said.
Under the rule changes, customers are not permitted to engage an electrician to install their digital meter. "Red Energy has been working through arrangements to bring on additional accredited parties to meet demand which has far exceeded expectation."
Red Energy explained that part of the agreement is that the solar system will remain switched off until the metering at the property is set up with export reading capability. "If a solar system is not switched off the readings can cause billing irregularities."
According to Red Energy, customers in NSW have also been impacted by both the government's decision to wind back the Solar Bonus Scheme and introduce Metering Contestability.
"The result of this led to demand exceeding supply: there were more requests for changes to metering than there were technicians available to undertake the work; there are also sites that are difficult to complete because the meter cannot be easily isolated."