AusNet Services pays $150,000 for failing to notify customers of planned outage
06 May 2019
Energy distributor AusNet Services has paid $150,000 after allegedly failing to notify customers of a planned power outage.
The Essential Services Commission issued the penalties after finding that the distributor left a mix of residential and business customers in Bass, Woolamai and Glen Forbes without electricity for three hours on 18 July 2018.
“Customers who are not notified of a planned interruption to their electricity supply don’t have the chance to prepare for the loss of power,” he said.
“A failure to notify customers that their power will be cut can leave them stranded without the ability to light, cook, or heat their home for the duration of the interruption.”
Dr Ben-David says the failure to notify businesses may have also caused financial losses as a result of lost trading or the loss of perishable goods.
Editors’ note: The commission can issue energy industry penalty notices where it has reason to believe a business has committed an energy industry contravention. The payment of a penalty specified in the energy industry penalty notices is not an admission of a contravention of their electricity and gas retail licences.
