History of Utilities Disputes

Utilities Disputes adds Water Complaints Scheme

• The Commissioner can now consider complaints about water providers which have joined Utilities Disputes

Commissioner's jurisdiction extended to include broadband shared property access disputes

• Commissioner's jurisdiction extended to include broadband shared property access disputes - the Broadband Shared Property Access Disputes Scheme

EGCC is now Utilities Disputes

• Ministerial approval given for the Board’s proposed changes to incorporate as a limited liability not-for-profit company and rebrand as Utilities Disputes Limited
• Nanette Moreau announced as the Utilities Disputes Commissioner

New EGCC Commissioner

• Judi Jones left the EGCC to become the Telecommunications Ombudsman of Australia
• Nanette Moreau announced as the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner

Commissioner's jurisdiction extended to include LPG in cylinders 15kg and over

• The Minister issued Gas (Dispute Resolution Scheme Membership) Class Exemption Regulations 2014, confirming providers of LPG in cylinders smaller than 15 kg were exempt from the requirement to join the scheme. This clarified the requirement for other LPG providers to join the EGCC scheme and the Commissioner’s jurisdiction to consider these complaints

Commissioner’s jurisdiction extended to include reticulated LPG

• The Commissioner’s jurisdiction was extended to include customers being supplied gas from reticulated LPG networks. From a customer’s perspective there was little difference between a reticulated natural gas supply and a reticulated LPG supply. In both situations a customer did not have gas cylinders at their property and their gas was being supplied through a system of pipes (reticulation)

Minister of Consumer Affairs confirmed the EGCC Scheme as the approved Scheme for electricity and gas complaints

• All electricity and gas industry participants were required to belong to the EGCC Scheme
• Effective date of approval was 1 April 2010

Commissioner’s jurisdiction extended to include land complaints

• The Commissioner’s jurisdiction was extended to include complaints from land owners and occupiers who had lines company equipment on their property. These land owners and occupiers did not previously have access to the Scheme because the acts or omissions giving rise to their complaint did not necessarily arise from the provision or non provision of energy

The Scheme became the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme (EGCC)

• The Commissioner’s jurisdiction to consider consumer complaints was extended to include both electricity and gas companies
• New Scheme published based on the Gas Consumer Code of Practice (no longer applicable) which outlined the undertakings of retail and lines companies as they pertain to reticulated natural gas

ECC Begins

The electricity industry set up the Electricity Complaints Commission Scheme to create a free and independent forum for resolving consumer complaints about electricity companies.

• Judi Jones appointed Electricity Complaints Commissioner January 2002
• The Electricity Consumer Code of Practice (no longer applicable) outlined the undertakings by retail and lines companies to electricity consumers
• Membership in the Scheme was voluntary