2015-11-12
QUESTION:
My constituency question is for the Minister for Energy and Resources. A constituent of Ringwood East in the Eastern Metropolitan Region had a smart meter installed at his property along with a 3.2-kilowatt solar system and various other energy-efficiency measures over two and a half years ago. To this date and after numerous requests, electricity provider AusNet Services still has not activated the smart meter to allow this constituent access to cheaper time-of-use tariffs. During this time the constituent has had no choice but to pay higher electricity costs and be left out of pocket. When contacting AusNet recently, the constituent received no firm commitment on when the smart meter would be enabled and was notified that it could be sometime between now and May 2016, with the possibility of this time line being further extended.
I am happy to provide the minister with the constituent's details. Will the minister intervene and find out why there has been such a long delay in getting their smart meter enabled and ensure that the smart meter is fully operational and the constituent placed on the reduced tariff immediately?
ANSWER:
AusNet advised that as of 20 July 2015, all of its customers (including those whose smart meter is not being remotely read) have been able to access time of use tariffs. I would encourage your constituent to contact their electricity retailer, in the first instance, to help your constituent switch to their desired tariff. Alternatively, I would encourage your constituent to compare energy offers with the Victorian Government's newly launched comparison tool, Victoria Energy Compare, to find the best deal for them.
If your constituent is not satisfied with either AusNet or their retailer in resolving this issue, they may wish to contact the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV), as they have the power to investigate and facilitate resolution of consumer complaints.
Hon Lily D'Ambrosio
Minister for Energy and Resources