How to make energy complaints step-by-step

Energy problems are common

We all need reliable access to utilities like gas and electricity, so energy companies provide essential services in our community. With so many consumers using these services, it’s not surprising that energy providers make mistakes. But it’s still tough for consumers when things go wrong with their electricity or gas. The good news is that you can follow a process to make a complaint that will get heard and resolved by your energy provider.

Making a complaint to your energy provider

Your energy provider must have a process in place to handle complaints. Sometimes complaints can be resolved easily, but sometimes you might need to engage more with the energy company to resolve your complaint.

The starting point is knowing who to contact. There are different entities responsible for different energy issues, so it can be tricky to know how to make a complaint.

Let's take a look at the 2 main places you can make an energy complaint with below.

When to contact your energy retailer for a complaint: 

Your energy retailer is the company you choose to supply gas or electricity to your home or business. In general, you should contact your energy retailer if you’re having a problem with:

• connection to the network
• supply of energy to your property
• the way an energy plan was sold to you
• cancelling or changing your energy plan
• fees, billing and other payment issues

On the note of fees and bills, Ajust user Archie had a problem with his energy bill and we were happy to help him resolve it- click here read about his story!

When to contact your energy distributor for a complaint:

On the other hand, an energy distributor owns and maintains the energy network that allows you to buy power and gas from retailers. Usually, you can’t choose your energy distributor because there’s only one in your area. You should contact your distributor if you’re having a problem with:

• powerlines or gas pipelines
• electricity or gas outages
• energy supply quality
• issues with electricity or gas meters

Steps for resolving your energy complaint

When making a complaint to your energy provider, here are some important points to cover:

1. What's the problem? Why are you making an energy complaint?
2. Do you have any materials or evidence about the problem?
3. How has the problem made an impact on you?
4. What do you want your energy provider to do to resolve the problem?

Let’s take a closer look at these 4 points.

1. Explain the problem:

When you explain the problem, keep it short, clear and specific. For example: “I’m still waiting on my gas and electricity to be connected to my property” or “I’m experiencing an electricity supply issue where my lights are flashing and dimming”. It can be useful to open your energy account online or have a paper bill with you, so you can easily provide details like your account number and the name of the energy plan that you’re on.

2. Provide evidence:

You might also be able to use your online account or bill as evidence for the problem, like if you’ve been charged a different amount to the rate on your plan. Providing evidence or other materials about your complaint also helps your electricity or gas provider to act quickly to work out what’s happened and resolve your complaint.

3. Talk about the impact of the problem:

Sharing information about how the problem has impacted you makes the complaint more meaningful and helps the business work out a fair resolution for your complaint. So instead of just saying there was a delay in connecting your electricity, you might also say that you lost a whole fridge of fresh food because of the delay.

4. Look for a fair outcome:

Speaking of a fair resolution, your complaint should be clear about what outcome you want from the energy company. Thinking again about the example of a delayed electricity connection, you might be satisfied if the company connects the electricity quickly. Or perhaps you want a quick connection and a small amount of money to compensate you for the food that went off in your fridge. Whatever outcome you want, it’s important to spell it out in your complaint.

There’s always a chance things can go wrong with your electricity or gas service. If you’ve had a bad experience with your energy provider you should make a complaint so they can fix the problem for you.

Even better, you can use Ajust to make an energy complaint. Ajust makes sure your complaint includes all the important points – like what happened, how it impacted you and the outcome you want – so your complaint gets resolved fast and fair. It’s free and only takes a few minutes.