Electricity customers throughout the Harden Shire are being urged to scrutinise their electricity bills, with some Origin Energy customers having their bills estimated at double the amount of their previous one. At least five customers in Bobbara Street have had their bills estimated, with spurious excuses given by the meter reader for not undertaking readings at their homes.
Letters are being received from electricity providers citing reasons for not checking the meter such as locked gates, dogs on the premises and even parked cars in the driveway. In some cases, the supposedly locked gates don’t actually have locks! Gary Mayhew in Bobbara Street received an estimated bill of $1,400.00, double the previous bill of $700.00. The excuse for the estimation was given as “dogs at the premises”. The dogs are apparently kept at the rear of the house, with the meter located at the front section. On a previous occasion, the meter reader claimed that they couldn’t access the meter due to cars in the driveway.
“I rang Origin and I said I was going to switch for this,” said Gary. “But they told me it wouldn’t do much good. All of the electricity companies in the area used the same metre reader contractor.” Origin Energy is also being criticised for introducing a $1.75 charge for paper bills, after Australia Post increased the price of stamps to $1.00. If your bill has been estimated, and you believe that it is incorrect, contact your respective electricity provider. If you are unsatisfied with their handling of your complaint, contact the Energy & Water Ombudsman New South Wales on 1800 246 545.
