Disconnections

Worried about disconnection from your energy or water provider? You can avoid disconnection or restriction by acting quickly and being aware of your rights.

This page will tell you about the rules around disconnection and what you should do if you’re facing disconnection of your energy or restriction of your water. 

Electricity and gas disconnection

The below information details what you need to know about energy disconnections.

Reasons for disconnection

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.

Disconnection protections

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. 

Disconnection warning and notice

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.

Wrongful disconnection

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.

Getting reconnected

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.

Water restriction

Water providers cannot disconnect your water supply, but they can severely restrict your water flow. The below information details what you need to know about water restrictions.

Reasons for restriction

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.

Restriction protections

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.

Restriction warning and notice

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.

Getting your water supply restored

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.

What to do if you're facing disconnection

If you’ve received a disconnection or restriction notice you should contact your provider as soon as possible to resolve the issue. If the reason your facing disconnection is payment difficulties, they can offer you payment assistance such as payment plans or hardship programs. Read more advice on payment assistance

If you're unhappy with the outcome, contact us. We can help with negotiating an affordable payment plan and ask the provider to delay the disconnection while you get financial assistance. If your supply has already been disconnected, we can check that the disconnection met the necessary rules and regulations and try to get you reconnected.