The office was established in October 1998 after the Electricity Ombudsman Act received Royal Assent on 19 June 1998. In January 2005, the role was expanded to include natural gas and the Electricity Ombudsman became the Energy Ombudsman. From 1 July 2005, the Energy Ombudsman will have the power to investigate and resolve complaints between electricity and gas customers and their providers, under the Energy Ombudsman Act 1998.
The Ombudsman’s services are free and confidential and enquiries and investigations are resolved in a timely manner.
See the List of Organisations the Energy Ombudman can handle complaints about.
The Energy Ombudsman may investigate complaints relating to the sale and supply of gas and electricity. This may include:
- connections and disconnections
- electricity or gas issues which affect you or your property, including damage to property, the supply of electricity or gas services, eg. delays or quality of supply
- billing disputes
- poles and wires/private lines
- customer service complaints
The Energy Ombudsman’s jurisdiction does not include such matters as:
- complaints about tariff structures and pricing [ see The Energy Regulator ]
- complaints against electricians, electrical contractors or retailers of gas or electrical appliances [ see Consumer Affairs and Fair Trading ]
- complaints that are under consideration by a court or tribunal
- complaints about LPG bottled gas.