What are my customer rights entitlements and obligations?
Customer Rights and Obligations - Summary
An agreement between Discover Energy and a customer contains many rights and obligations for both parties.
Guaranteed Service Levels (GSL) in the ACT
In addition to customer rights, entitlements and obligations, electricity customers in the ACT also benefit from Guaranteed Service Levels (GSLs). Under the law we are required by law to meet these GSLs and where we don’t, we’ll pay you a set rebate amount.
If this is the case, a rebate will be applied automatically to your Origin account, you don’t need to do anything. You can put the credit towards an upcoming bill or, request a refund.
GSLs relate directly to:
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Connection times – we must connect your premises by the required date.
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Wrongful disconnections – we must not wrongfully disconnect your premises.
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Responding to complaints – we must acknowledge your complaint immediately or as soon as practicable and provide a response within 20 business days.
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Notice of planned interruption – we must provide you with 4 business days’ notice of a retailer planned interruption to your energy supply, unless we have already obtained your consent.
More information can be found in the table below regarding GSLs
Your Rights
Fair Contracts
We will provide customers with fair contracts with clear terms and conditions that are easily understood in relation to any energy offer that we provide.
Energy Offer Information
We will provide you with basic and detailed plan information documents and or access to website links to access these documents to provide you with a summary of your offer.
Notice of variations
In the event that anything changes related to your offer, including terms and conditions and rates or charges we will notify you in writing at least 5 business days prior to any such change taking effect, or as required by the rules and law within your local area, in any event no later than your next bill.
For QLD customers if the variation results in a price increase than you will be provided at least 10 business days notice prior to any such change taking effect.
Your Bills
Our bills will be clear and easily understood, with detailed information of your supply and usage charges and how your usage compares to other households within your area. Bills will be based on the amount of energy you use during a billing period, and may include other fees and charges in accordance with your energy offer. Bills will be sent to you at least once every 3 months, if you have a digital meter your bills may be sent to you once a month. We may change your billing period by notice to you.
Pricing
Please refer to your agreement if you are on a Market Retail customer.
If you are a Standard Retail customer, please refer to our website, together with fees and charges published on our website. Standard Retail electricity customers' prices are equal to your jurisdictions regulated default market offer rates as determined by the jurisdiction's regulator.
Opting out of Marketing activities
We maintain a no contact list for customers who do not wish to be contacted by us in relation to marketing activities. Please see our website for more details if you wish to opt out of marketing activities.
Disconnection and Reconnection services
If you are moving and need to disconnect from your current property and/or connect to your new property, please call us at least 3 business days prior. For regional or remote areas please contact at least 10 business days prior. In some cases, you may need to be home for these services to be completed. We will advise you at the time what is required.
Fees and charges apply please see our website for details.
Meter Upgrades and replacements
If you wish to upgrade your meter to a new digital meter or believe your old meter needs replacing, please call us on 1300 658 519 for assistance.
Depending on your property and existing connection a new digital meter installation will usually take between 30minutes to 2 hours.
A new connection request will be completed within 6 days from your request depending on all necessary supply and connection works being completed.
An alteration to an existing meter or a meter replacement will be completed within 15 days from your request depending on all necessary supply and connection works being completed.
Self Reads
If you still have an old analogue meter and you have been sent a bill that is based on an estimated read, you may submit your own read and have your estimated bill reissued.
Flexible payment options
We will provide you with flexible payment options.
Hardship Program
Our Hardship program is available to residential and small business customers who are experiencing long or short-term hardship or temporary payment difficulties. This program will provide you with various level of assistance such as payment plans, extensions and advice on managing your energy costs. You can find a copy of our hardship program on our website.
Government Concessions and Rebates
You may be eligible for Government Concessions and rebates depending on your personal circumstances (for example some concession card holders). For more information please see our website.
Complaints Management
If you have an enquiry, complaint or dispute please contact us. We will handle your complaint and advise you of the outcome per our complaints and dispute policy. Full details are available on our website.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint you may escalate your complaint to the energy ombudsman in your state.
ACT: (02) 6207 1740
NSW: 1800 246 545
QLD: 1800 662 837
SA: 1800 665 565
VIC: 1800 500 509
Your Obligations
Meter Access
You must provide open and safe access for us to be able to read and maintain the energy meters on your property.
Moving to a new house or property
You must provide us notice when you are moving to a new house.
Changes in your energy usage
You must advise us if you start to consume or wish to start to use your energy differently, for example, you start running a business from your home.
Life Support Notice
You must provide written confirmation from a medical practitioner if someone in your residence requires life support equipment. For more details on life support equipment and eligibility please see our website.
Other Disconnection and Reconnection services
We can arrange for disconnection of your energy supply in a number of circumstances, These include if you ask us to or you don’t pay your bill on time, or you have refused to provide security deposit or your meter hasn’t been able to be read for 3 consecutive meter readings. Regulatory requirements prevent disconnection in some circumstances.
For customers in the ACT, we must meet the Guaranteed Service Levels set out below:
| Service | Requirement | Rebate |
| Service | Request | GSL (Requirement) | Rebate |
| Connection | Request before 2pm on a business day | Connect on the same day | $60 per day - capped at $300 |
| Connection | Request made on or after 2pm on a business day | By the end of the next business day | $60 per day - capped at $300 |
| Connection | Request made on a non-business day | By the end of the next business day | $60 per day - capped at $300 |
| Connection | Otherwise | On a day agreed between the customer and the retailer | $60 per day - capped at $300 |
| Wrongful Disconnection | We must not disconnect you if we are not entitled to do so under the regulations | $100 | |
| Responding to complaints | If you make a complaint we must acknowledge it immediately or as soon as possible, and respond within 20 business days | $20 | |
| Notice of Planned interruptions to the energy supply | if we or our service provider plans to do work, such as maintenance, meter replacement or other work that will interrupt your energy supply we must |
|
$50 |
We will monitor our performance against the GSLs, if we do not meet a GSL we will pay you the relevant rebate as soon as possible after identifying a failure to meet a GSL. The payment will be placed as a credit on your energy account. You can request for any GSL payment to be refunded to you. If a GSL rebate is applied to your account we will notify you in writing of the amount and why it has been applied.
If you believe we have failed to meet a GSL please contact by phone or email and we will review your claim and pay the relevant rebate if we identify a failure.
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