Disconnections

Your provider can disconnect your electricity or gas if:

• you don’t pay a bill or security deposit, or don’t pay for connection to your property
• you don’t provide safe access to your meter for 3 scheduled readings in a row
• you provide false information to be connected
• you don’t give your provider acceptable identification
• if you conduct illegal activities at the property
• if you damage the distributor’s equipment or interfere with someone else’s supply

• if the private electricity or gas infrastructure in your property is unsafe.

In some cases you may be disconnected due to an emergency or if the police request it.

Your provider can’t disconnect your electricity or gas:

• before 8am or after 3pm on a business day
• on a Friday or the day before a public holiday
• on a weekend or public holiday
• between 20 and 31 December (inclusive)
• EWOQ or another dispute resolution organisation is already investigating the disconnection
• if someone in your household needs life support equipment and this information is registered on your account. 

Your electricity or gas provider must give you fair notice before disconnecting you.

First, they will send you a reminder notice that gives you 5 business days to fix the problem and tells you the next steps if you don’t or can’t fix it.

If the problem isn’t fixed, your provider then sends a warning that they’ll disconnect your electricity or gas in 5 business days.

These warnings must include information on how the Energy and Water Ombudsman (EWOQ) can help you.

Sometimes mistakes happen and you might be wrongfully disconnected. If this happens, you might be entitled to a ‘guaranteed service level’ (GSL) payment if the energy company:

• is not entitled to disconnect you under a law or contract
• fails to follow the procedures for disconnection
• disconnects the wrong property
• doesn’t give you a disconnection warning.

Contact your energy company to claim your GSL payment.

Call your electricity or gas provider as soon as you realise your service has been disconnected.

If you're in debt with your energy provider, you usually need to pay something towards your bill or organise a payment plan before the provider will reconnect you.

They might also charge a reconnection fee. You’ll pay more if you want them to reconnect you outside business hours.

You might also need to pay a security deposit—potentially up to 37.5% of your estimated bills over a year.

Your provider can restrict your water supply if:

• you don’t pay a bill or security deposit, or don’t pay for connection to your property
• they’ve sent you at least 2 reminders and you haven’t contacted them for help about paying the account
• if you haven’t kept up with an agreed payment plan and missed more than 1 payment in a year.

Your provider can’t restrict your water if:

• your property is registered as a ‘special needs’ premises
• restriction would reduce the flow rate to less than the minimum rate allowed - at least 10 litres per minute at the tap nearest to the water meter
• you’re less than 1 month behind in your payments
• it’s been less than 1 month since the provider asked you to pay your security deposit
• the provider hasn’t sent you a notice about the restriction
• a local fire ban or state of fire emergency has been declared where your property is located
• EWOQ or another dispute resolution organisation is already investigating the restriction.

Your water provider must give you fair notice before restricting your water.

First, they send you a reminder notice that gives you 5 business days to fix the problem and tells you the next steps if you don’t or can’t fix it.

If the problem isn’t fixed, your provider then sends a warning (a ‘restriction notice’) that they’ll restrict your water in 10 business days.

Contact your water provider as soon as you realise your water has been restricted.

You usually need to pay something towards your bill or organise a payment plan before the provider will lift the water restriction. You might also need to pay a security deposit.

They might also charge you an additional fee. You’ll pay more if you want them to restore your water supply outside business hours.