What should I do if I have a complaint?

Electricity & Gas Complaints Resolution Service

The Electricity & Gas Complaints Commissioner runs the approved consumer complaint resolution scheme for the electricity and gas industries. The scheme is available free of charge to consumers who have not been able to resolve their complaint with their energy company.

Contact: infoegcomplaints [dot] co [dot] nz

The Commissioner is Judi Jones, a Wellington-based lawyer and former chair of the Consumers’ Institute board.

 

How to Make a Complaint

Before you can make a complaint to the Electricity & Gas Complaints Commissioner, you must first make a formal complaint through your gas company’s in-house complaints process.

To clarify the nature of your complaint, you may want to first write to the company concerned. It is important to use the word 'complaint' so that the company is in no doubt that you are beginning the complaints procedure.

The company then has 20 working days to respond to your complaint.

If, at the end of this time, you are not able to resolve your complaint with the company, you can take your complaint to the commissioner’s office.

Contact the Electricity & Gas Complaints Commissioner:

email: infoegcomplaints [dot] co [dot] nz
website: www.egcomplaints.co.nz
phone: 0800 22 33 40
mail: Freepost 192682, PO Box 5875, Wellington 6145.

 

Complaints not covered by the Electricity & Gas Complaints Commissioner

If your gas company is not a member of the Electricity & Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme, or the issues you want to complain about arose before 1 April 2005, you should lodge your complaint directly with your gas company. You can also contact you nearest:

Community Law Centre
Citizens’ Advice Bureau
Your Member of Parliament’s office


The Commerce Commission also handles complaints about power companies but its jurisdiction is limited to practices covered by the Fair Trading and Commerce Acts.

If your complaint is with a company that is a State-Owned Enterprise, you can contact the Office of the Ombudsmen (www.ombudsmen.govt.nz).