AusNet Services pays penalties for allegedly failing to notify customers of planned interruption

AusNet Electricity Services Pty Ltd (AusNet) has paid over $40,000 in penalties after it allegedly failed to notify four customers, including a customer registered with AusNet as requiring life support equipment, of a three-hour, planned power interruption that took place in Wodonga in June 2022.

In the days following the event, AusNet self-reported to the Essential Services Commission that it had failed to give a life support customer advanced notice of the planned power interruption. On further investigation, the commission identified that AusNet allegedly failed to give advanced notice to three more customers affected by the planned power interruption.

Commissioner Sitesh Bhojani says rules in place to protect Victorian energy consumers require energy distribution businesses to give customers at least four business days’ notice, in writing, of planned interruptions to a customer’s electricity supply.

“This gives customers time to engage with their distribution company about their requirements, and to make alternative plans to manage their energy needs during the outage period. This includes customers who need power to use life support equipment,” Commissioner Bhojani explained.

He said that while the commission acknowledges that AusNet has been working to improve its processes to notify customers of planned power interruptions, errors made by the business on this occasion indicate that it had breached critical energy rules designed to prevent consumer harm.

“Planned power outages for maintenance purposes are part of making sure our electricity supply is safe and reliable. But there is no room for error when it comes to informing customers of planned power outages. Distribution companies must have robust systems in place to manage planned outages and notify customers with timely and accurate information,” Commissioner Bhojani said.

He said the decision to issue the penalties to AusNet was in line with the commission’s energy compliance and enforcement priorities to uphold safeguards for Victorian energy consumers. This includes consumers experiencing vulnerability such as customers relying on power for life support equipment.

“The commission takes our responsibility to uphold Victorian energy consumer protections seriously. We are focused on restoring trust in the energy market, and where we find energy businesses have failed to comply with the laws and rules in place to protect Victorians, we take action,” Commissioner Bhojani said.

The commission can issue penalty notices where it has reason to believe a business has contravened a civil penalty requirement. Payment of a penalty notice is not an admission of a contravention of a civil penalty requirement.