Complaints we can help with

We help Queenslanders work out problems with their electricity, gas and water providers. We support energy customers who use less than 160 megawatt hours of electricity or one terajoule of gas annually. In South East Queensland, we also assist residential and small business water customers whose annual consumption is less than 100 kilolitres. However, there are some complaints we can’t help with because other organisations help with those.

Here you’ll find a list of complaints we can and can’t help you with.

We can help you with

• Billing issues, including high bills, delayed or late bills, errors, estimated meter readings, rebates and concessions, tariffs and refunds.
• Bursts, leaks, blockages and overflows, such as excess water charges from an undetected leak, damage or loss, action taken or not taken about blockages and overflows.
• Contract issues, including changing providers, cancellations, cooling-off periods (but not disputes about contract terms and conditions, such as pricing, fees and charges, etc.).
• Customer service, including incorrect or misleading information, unprofessional behaviour, privacy breaches, lack of contact or communication.
• Damages and loss – first submit and complete the claim process with your retailer.
• Default listings, including compliance with the Credit Reporting Code.
• Disconnection issues.
• Marketing, such as misleading or incorrect information, problems with their telemarketers or salespeople.
• New and existing connection problems.
• Payment difficulties, including payment plans, debt collectors, credit issues, default listings.
• Supply quality and reliability, including planned and unplanned outages.
• Vegetation management, including tree pruning or clearing near power lines, and maintenance obligations and responsibilities.
• Electricity bills that you receive from your body corporate or that don’t have a National Meter Identifier (NMI) on it, if you live in an apartment or residential complex.
• National energy laws and how they’ll affect you.
• Problems you can’t resolve with your embedded network provider.
• Consumer data right associated with your electricity.

We can’t help you with

• Complaints about your provider if you haven’t contacted them first to try to fix the problem.
• A problem if it’s been more than 12 months since you became aware of it.
• Problems the Ombudsman considers frivolous or vexatious.
• Decisions the Ombudsman or a legal proceeding has already made.
• Problems the Australian Energy Regulator or Queensland Competition Authority help with.

There are some energy and water problems that we can't help with, but someone else can.

Complaint not listed here?

If you have a complaint about something not listed on this page, there may be another complaint handling service that can take your complaint.