New reporting arrangements have shown energy businesses breached industry rules more than 600 times in the last six months of 2016.
The Essential Services Commission has released a new report on the performance of energy companies against various industry codes including retail, distribution and marketing codes, following a reform of its energy reporting framework.
The Victorian Energy Market Report shows there were 687 breaches of the rules in the first two quarters of this financial year.
Commission chief executive, Dr John Hamill says the breaches fall into two main categories.
“There were more than 250 incidents of failing to give customers the minimum four days’ notice of a planned power outage as well as over 370 wrongful disconnections,” he said.
Energy companies paid out more than half a million dollars over the same period for wrongfully cutting off the power to 379 households and businesses.
Dr Hamill says the report also covers developments in the Victorian energy market between July and December last year.
“It talks about what happened in the electricity and gas markets over this period, as well as what we are doing to encourage energy businesses to comply with relevant industry codes,” he said.
The report outlines some of the commission’s reform program after being granted new consumer protection powers by the government.
The report fulfils new quarterly reporting obligations.
