Ausgrid must meet a number of distribution service standards for small customers. Ausgrid must report on any failures to meet these standards and may be liable for penalties for any such failures. In addition, some of these standards are Guaranteed Service Levels and a breach of those standards entitles the affected customer to compensation of a prescribed amount.
There are a number of sources of Ausgrid’s distribution service standards:
Summary of Distribution Service Standards
Planned interruptions
Where Ausgrid is required to interrupt supply due to planned maintenance, repair or augmentation of the transmission or distribution system or due to a new or altered connection, Ausgrid must give at least 4 business days' notice.
Ausgrid may seek your consent to a different notice period and if you agree, the varied notice period applies instead.
Unplanned interruptions
Ausgrid may have to interrupt the supply of electricity to carry out unanticipated or unplanned maintenance or repairs in any case where there is an actual or apprehended threat to the safety, reliability or security of the supply of energy (known as an unplanned interruption). In such circumstances, Ausgrid will make available by way of a 24 hour telephone service, information on the nature of the interruption and an estimate of the time when supply will be restored or when reliable information on restoration of supply will be available.
Ausgrid will provide this information within 30 minutes of being advised of the interruption or otherwise as soon as practicable. Ausgrid will use its best endeavours to restore the power supply as soon as possible.
Energisation and re-energisation by agreed date with small customer
Where a small customer is entitled to energisation or re-energisation of their premises, Ausgrid must carry out that energisation or re-energisation by the end of the next business day, or by the end of the second business day if the request is made after 3pm on a business day. A business day is a normal working day, Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
De-energisation
Where Ausgrid is entitled to de-energise a customer's premises other than at the request of a retailer or due to the customer's illegal actions, Ausgrid must give the customer a disconnection warning notice. The disconnection warning notice warns the customer that its premises will or may be de-energised and contains details relating to the de-energisation and also the applicable re-energisation procedures.
Where a small customer makes a request through their retailer, for the de-energisation of their premises, Ausgrid must de-energise the customer’s premises within 2 days of the request.
There are circumstances where Ausgrid must not de-energise a small customer's premises, these are:
- where the premises are registered with life support equipment
- where the customer has made a complaint to Ausgrid or the Energy and Water Ombudsman (NSW) regarding de-energisation and the complaint is not resolved
- during a 'protected period' which is:
- a business day before 8am or after 3pm; or
- a Friday or the day before a public holiday; or
- a weekend or public holiday; or
- the days between 20 December and 31 December in any year; or
- if you are being disconnected for a failure to pay, during an extreme weather event.
Notice to small customers after disconnection
Ausgrid must provide a small customer with a notice following disconnection of their premises at their retailer's request. The notice must set out the retailer's contact details and the arrangements that must be made by the small customer for the power to be reconnected.
Network fault information
Ausgrid is required to maintain a 24 hour fault information and reporting telephone number. This number is 13 13 88 and the charge for calling this number is the cost of a local call.
