Bill shock is increasingly becoming a predicament that many Aussies are faced with, so it pays to know your options as a consumer if you’re disputing an electricity or gas bill.
In this guide, we cover how to dispute an electricity bill, including who to contact, what to expect, as well as details about the dispute resolution process.
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Can I dispute my electric bill?
If it seems like your electricity bill is too high, there are a couple of avenues you can take. However, the first port of call should be your energy retailer, which is the business who bills you for using power – for example, AGL or Origin. Your energy retailer is best equipped to handle any complaints around your electricity bill being too high, and to investigate and resolve any errors.
How to dispute an electric bill
Here are the steps you can take to dispute your energy bill:
1. Contact your energy retailer
When contacting your retailer, make sure you have your bill nearby. Here’s a step-by-step guide on what you’ll need to do:
- Provide your full name and account number (usually found at the top of your bill).
- Remain calm and provide clear information about which part of the bill you’re disputing.
- Take note of the date and time of the phone call, as well as the name of the person you are speaking with.
- Ask to speak with a manager or supervisor to discuss any further options if you feel the situation has not been resolved.
- Again, write down the person’s name, as well as the particulars you spoke about, including any agreed terms or conditions.
2. Contact the Ombudsman
If your complaint has not been resolved within an agreed timeframe with your retailer, then you may wish to contact the energy ombudsman to escalate your issue. Here’s a list of the ombudsman contacts in each state and territory:
- NSW: Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (1800 246 545)
- VIC: Energy & Water Ombudsman Victoria (1800 500 509)
- QLD: Energy & Water Ombudsman Queensland (1800 662 837)
- SA: Energy & Water Ombudsman South Australia (1800 665 565)
- ACT: ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (02 6207 1740)
- TAS: Energy Ombudsman Tasmania (1800 001 170)
- NT: Ombudsman NT (1800 806 380)
- WA: Energy & Water Ombudsman WA (1800 754 004)
What happens when you dispute an electricity bill?
This will ultimately come down to the first step and how your provider handles your complaint in accordance with state or territory retail law. Complaints against energy suppliers are handled differently from company to company. For example, some energy companies have trained professionals to deal with disputes, while others may just have customer service representatives which may play a part in how your dispute is resolved. It could also depend on the circumstances and nature of your complaint, where outcomes will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
If in doubt, always refer to the energy price fact sheets for a full breakdown of your plan’s rates, fees and charges. Keep in mind these fact sheets may be called Basic Plan Information Documents.
How long does it take for disputes to be resolved?
When dealing with energy disputes, it’s best to talk through your options by coming up with an agreed response time of 10 business days. This gives your retailer enough time to respond properly within a reasonable timeframe, while taking your complaint/s into consideration.
Just make sure you keep note of all correspondence with the retailer: that way you can refer to it if the matter is not resolved and needs to be escalated.
Compare energy deals
Here are some sponsored deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Ausgrid energy network in Sydney but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 3900kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area and to see other products in our database that may be available. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
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11% Less than reference price |
$1,614 Price/year (estimated) |
Go to Site |
Here are some sponsored deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Citipower network in Melbourne but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area and to see other products in our database that may be available. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
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10% Less than VDO |
$1,304 Price/year (estimated) |
Go to Site |
Here are some sponsored deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from our referral partners†. These costs are based on the Energex network in Brisbane but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4600kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area and to see other products in our database that may be available. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
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4% Less than reference price |
$1,990 Price/year (estimated) |
Go to Site |
When should you contact your energy distributor?
Unlike retailers, energy distributors are the companies who maintain electricity grids and gas networks across Australia. That means the wires, power poles, meters and mains gas pipes that supply power to your home or business. You should only ever have to contact your distributor if power supply to your premises has been disconnected or interrupted, or to report an outage or fallen powerlines.
What can cause an electricity bill increase?
There are plenty of reasons why your electricity bill may have increased, the most obvious being a jump in power usage. However, other reasons can include:
- Invoicing delays
- Billing corrections
- Outdated, unreliable or new appliances
- Increased household size
- Price changes
- Administrative or servicing fees
- You have an estimated bill
Is your electricity bill higher than usual? Check out some common reasons for higher bills from Canstar Blue’s billing cost guide before you dispute your electricity costs.
Can an electricity bill be wrong?
Yes, an electricity bill can be wrong – but it’s not a common occurrence, and it’s very unlikely that your energy retailer is trying to rip you off.
If you have a smart meter, your electricity usage will be passed onto your retailer digitally for billing, meaning there is little chance of this going wrong. If you have an old type of energy meter, this will be read manually by someone from your local energy distributor about every three months. This could give you a wrong reading, if the correct usage figures are not noted properly. However, this is unlikely.
If you’ve received a bill you’re convinced is wrong, the reality is that your energy usage has probably changed over recent weeks and months, without you realising. The other possible explanation is that you’ve received an estimated bill, either because your meter was inaccessible for the meter reader, or because you have signed up to a plan with monthly billing. In this case you’ll receive estimated bills two out of three months in the quarter, followed by a settlement bill to get your balance straight.
If you do have doubts, it doesn’t hurt to contact your energy retailer for clarification. Your retailer will likely ask you to take your own meter reading – or submit a picture of it – to compare against the reading they have. Then you will know if the bill was correct.
If you also have a gas account and are concerned about your gas meter reading being too high, you can follow a similar complaint process.
How will I be repaid if my bill is wrong?
If you were in fact overcharged, your energy retailer must compensate you based on the amount you were overcharged. For amounts less than $50, the amount will be taken off your next bill. If you were overcharged by more than $50, you can choose whether you’d like the money credited towards your next bill, or have the money paid out directly to you.
Compare more energy offers
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Ausgrid network in Sydney but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 3900kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Citipower network in Melbourne but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Energex network in Brisbane but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4600kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the SA Power network in Adelaide but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
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