Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers 2022 (WA)

Western Australia Electricity Industry Act 2004 Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers 2022 Western Australia Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers 2022 Contents Part 1 — Preliminary 1. Citation 1 2. Commencement 1 3. Terms used 1 4. Payment plans 12 5. Provision of information to customers 12 6. Variations relating to standard form contracts 13 7. Variations relating to non‑standard contracts 14 Part 2 — Marketing Division 1 — Retailer obligations 8. Retailers must ensure electricity marketing agents comply with Part 15 Division 2 — Contracts and information to be provided to customers 9. Entering into standard form contract 15 10. Entering into non‑standard contract 17 Division 3 — Marketing conduct 11. Standards of conduct 19 12. Contact for purposes of marketing 20 13. Compliance with signs 21 Division 4 — Miscellaneous 14. Compliance with code 21 15. Presumption of authority 22 16. Electricity marketing agent complaints 22 17. Records must be kept 23 Part 3 — Connection 18. Obligation to forward connection request 24 Part 4 — Billing Division 1 — Billing cycles 19. Standard billing cycle 25 20. Shortened billing cycle 25 Division 2 — Contents of bill 21. Contents of bill 27 Division 3 — Basis of bill 22. Basis of bill 30 23. Estimations 31 24. Replacement of estimation with actual value 32 Division 4 — Change of tariffs 25. Customer request for change of tariff 32 26. Tariff change if former tariff unavailable 33 Division 5 — Review of bill and energy data checking 27. Review of bill 33 28. Energy data checking 34 Division 6 — Undercharging and overcharging 29. Undercharging 35 30. Overcharging 36 Division 7 — Final bill 31. Request for final bill 37 Division 8 — Providing bills under standard form contracts 32. Provision of bills 38 Part 5 — Payment 33. Payment date 39 34. Payment methods 39 35. Payment in advance 39 36. Redirection of bills 40 37. Late payment fee 40 38. Vacating supply address 42 39. Debt collection 43 Part 6 — Payment assistance Division 1 — Assessment of financial situation 40. Assessment 44 Division 2 — Payment assistance 41. Payment assistance 45 42. Limits to payment extensions 45 43. Payment plans 45 44. Variation of payment plans 47 Division 3 — Additional assistance available to residential customers experiencing financial hardship 45. Reductions of fees, charges or debt and provision of advice 47 46. Hardship policy and hardship procedures 48 Division 4 — Business customers experiencing payment difficulties 47. Alternative payment arrangements 51 Part 7 — Disconnection Division 1 — Conduct in relation to disconnection Subdivision 1 — Disconnection for failure to pay bill 48. General requirements 52 49. Limitations on disconnection for failure to pay bill 53 50. Dual fuel contracts 54 Subdivision 2 — Disconnection for denying access to meter 51. Disconnection for denying access to meter 54 Division 2 — Limits on disconnection 52. General limits on disconnection 56 Part 8 — Reconnection 53. Obligation on retailer to arrange reconnection 59 54. Obligation on distributor to reconnect supply address 59 Part 9 — Pre‑payment meters 55. Application 62 56. Operation of pre‑payment meter 62 57. Provision of information 62 58. Reversion 65 59. Life support equipment 66 60. Requirements for pre‑payment meters 68 61. Recharge facilities 69 62. Concessions 69 63. Meter check or test 69 64. Credit retrieval 70 65. Overcharging and undercharging 70 66. Assistance for customers experiencing payment problems 72 67. Waiver of fee for customers experiencing payment problems or affected by family violence 73 Part 10 — Information and communication Division 1 — Obligations for retailers 68. General information 74 69. Information about tariffs, fees or charges 75 70. Information about variations to tariffs, fees or charges: regulated prices 75 71. Information about variations to tariffs, fees or charges: non‑regulated prices 75 72. Historical billing data 77 73. Service standard payments 77 74. Distribution matters 77 Division 2 — Obligations for distributors 75. General information 77 76. Information about supply changes or interruptions 79 Division 3 — Obligations for retailers and distributors 77. Written information must be easy to understand 79 78. Special information needs 79 79. Metering 80 Division 4 — Disconnection or interruption for emergencies 80. Disconnection or interruption for emergencies 81 Part 11 — Life support equipment scheme 81. Relevant standards 82 82. Registration of life support equipment address: retailers 82 83. Registration of life support equipment address: distributors 84 84. Interruption of supply 85 85. Periodic reviews 85 86. De‑registration of address 86 Part 12 — Complaints and dispute resolution 87. Obligation to establish complaints handling procedures 89 88. Acknowledgment of complaint and response times 89 89. Advice about outcome of complaint 90 90. Obligation to refer complaint 90 Part 13 — Protections relating to family violence 91. Family violence policy 91 92. Protection from disconnection 94 93. Written evidence 95 Part 14 — Service standard payments Division 1 — Obligations for retailers 94. Facilitating customer reconnections 96 95. Wrongful disconnections 96 96. Customer service 97 Division 2 — Obligations for distributors 97. Wrongful disconnections 97 98. Customer service 97 Division 3 — Payment 99. Exceptions 98 100. Method of payment 98 101. Recovery of payment 99 Part 15 — Repeal 102. Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers 2018 repealed 100 Notes Compilation table 101 Defined terms Electricity Industry Act 2004 Code of Conduct for the Supply of Electricity to Small Use Customers 2022