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Home > Customers > Customer Charter > Customer Contract
We all rely on electricity, water and sewerage services at home and at work.
Power and Water provides electricity, water and sewerage services to more than 70 000 customers throughout the Northern Territory.
Our commitment to you is to achieve customer service excellence. This Customer Contract is part of that commitment, giving you information about your rights and obligations in helping us to provide the very best in customer service.
This contract is legally binding on you and us under the Water Supply and Sewerage Services Act and the Electricity Reform Act.
This contract covers the urban centres in the Northern Territory listed in Schedule 1: Centres Covered by This Contract It applies to:
We have also developed a simple summary of the key points of this contract, our Customer Charter.
Power and Water holds operating licences to supply electricity, water and sewerage services under the Electricity Reform Act and the Water Supply and Sewerage Services Act. The licences include minimum standards of service, which are confirmed in Schedule 2: Our Service Standards
The Utilities Commission is responsible for monitoring our compliance with those licences and with the wider requirements of the legislation.
We will continue to monitor and review the quality of customer service we provide to you. We provide a report to the Utilities Commission, the Chief Health Officer and to you, each year, on our performance against this Customer Contract.
We welcome your feedback so we can work to improve our services to you. Send any comments or suggestions to our Customer Service Officers at customerservice@powerwater.com.au or Freecall on 1800 245 092.
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Note: your call may be monitored or recorded for training purposes to ensure the quality of our service is at an optimum level.
Emergency calls: 1800 245 090
If you have problems, or other difficulties with any services provided by Power and Water, contact us on our Freecall 24-hour emergency call service, 1800 245 090.
If you telephone when your supply has been interrupted you may receive a recorded message providing details of the actions we are taking and the expected duration of the interruption. You may also speak to an operator if you wish. All phone calls to this number are recorded.
We will try to answer your call promptly. However, there may be delays when there are multiple problems caused by severe weather conditions or abnormal occurrences.
Complaints: 1800 245 092
If you have a complaint please let us know on Freecall 1800 245 092. We will investigate the complaint, do all we can to resolve the problem, and report back to you promptly and courteously.
Our staff are trained to resolve your complaint in an efficient and professional way. If you are not satisfied with the way your complaint was handled please contact our Client Liaison Officer on 1800 245 092.
If, after this review, you are still not satisfied, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman of the Northern Territory to act on your behalf.
We try to use the information received through complaints to constantly improve the level of service that we offer to our customers.
Information you provide to us will be treated as confidential and only used for the purpose for which it was given. You can request access, at any time, to see the personal information we hold about you and to provide updated information.
We assume that you consent for us to use and disclose your personal information for purposes such as:
If you wish to withdraw your consent for us to use your personal information in these ways, contact us on Freecall 1800 245 092 or refer to Our Privacy Policy.
Your details will only be disclosed to a third party if:
We can give you useful information on many aspects of our services, including tips on how to reduce electricity and water use or the costs of running various electrical appliances.
If you have a particular requirement please Freecall 1800 245 092, or check the information pamphlets at our offices or on our website at www.powerwater.com.au.
We aim to make service connection as quick and easy as possible for you.
Electricity connection, disconnection and charges are the responsibility of the customer. Even if the power is on when you arrive at your new property it is important that you contact us to sign on for supply, otherwise your supply may be disconnected.
To sign on for a residential electricity supply, you can:
You will need to provide:
Note that we must speak to all parties to the account to verify their identities.
We may carry out a check on Baycorp and, if you have previously been a customer, you must pay or make arrangements to pay any outstanding electricity debts before electricity will be reconnected.
An establishment fee applies for connecting electricity supply. Please ask one of our staff or check on our website at www.powerwater.com.au to verify the amount.
We aim to have your electricity connected as quickly as possible after receiving your application.
Water and sewerage charges are the responsibility of the landowner and can be transferred with the title of the land.
Existing supplies: Water and sewerage services are normally left connected when a property changes hands. However, you need to inform us of the change of ownership and of any changes in the customer details.
When a property is sold it is important that the vendor and the purchaser contact us to finalise the water and sewerage charges up to the change of ownership date. Conveyancing agents and legal representatives are not responsible for ensuring any such charges owed on the property are included in the property settlement.
New supplies: To arrange a new connection to the system, or an increased load or demand, apply at any of our Customer Service Centres.
We will respond promptly in line with our Code for Connections. We will fit a new water meter, and provide access to the water supply within two working days of receiving notification from your plumber that the plumbing at the new property is complete.
We will provide special services for customers with special health needs.
Please notify us if you or a member of your household has special health needs, such as a life-support system. We can inform you of any planned interruptions or maintenance work to the electricity or water supply so you can be prepared.
You can advise Power and Water of your special medical needs when you apply for electricity or water supply or by calling Freecall 1800 245 092. To qualify as a special needs customer your registered medical practitioner must confirm in writing, to Power and Water, your special medical needs. This information must be updated annually to remain valid.
We will give registered customers five days advance notice of any planned maintenance to the water or electricity supply. We will also alert you, whenever possible, that supply has been interrupted in an emergency. It is not always possible to advise you of unplanned interruptions so it is important that you have other contingencies in place should you experience disruption to your power or water supply.
Note that you are still responsible for paying your account. Refer to the section “Paying Your Account”.
If you hold a current Northern Territory Pension Concession Card you may be eligible for a concession on your electricity account, and an establishment fee may be waived. If you own the property, you may also be eligible for a concession on the water and sewerage charges. Advise us of your pension card details when you apply for electricity or water connection or when you receive your pension card, issued by the Department of Health and Community Services.
You need to contact us to be able to benefit from these concessions. Any concessions are payable only from the time we record your details.
If you are a member of the NT Pensioner Concession Scheme, you can obtain further information from your local community care centre or Family and Children’s Services (FACS) office.
We issue invoices quarterly for residential customers and monthly for all other customers. If you are an owner/occupier you may choose to receive a combined account for electricity, water and sewerage services. If you are a tenant you will receive an account for electricity only.
Goods and Services Tax (GST) applies to electricity supply but water supply and sewerage services are GST free. All accounts provide details of the GST, to enable you to reclaim the tax if you are an eligible business.
You need to pay your invoice within 21 days from the date of issue shown on the account. The average mailing time for Invoices to be received at your postal address is generally around 3 business days from the issue date, depending on your locality and local mail service delivery times.
Paying your account is easy using one of the simple payment methods we provide. You can pay by:
You can pay at a Post Office, in person at any of our Customer Service Centres or by mail at the postal address on the back of the bill.
Payments through post office, BPay or Phone Direct Credit Card may take two working days to process, so you need to pay your bill early enough to make sure we still receive your payment within 21 days from the date of issue.
Failure to pay your account within 21 days may result in the disconnection of the supply, outstanding amounts may be lodged onto Baycorp and/or referral to a collection agency. You will then be liable for additional fees or legal costs.
Please let us know before your payment is due if you may have difficulty paying. We may be able to make special arrangements, such as agreeing to you making payments by instalments: generally, we would ask that half the amount be paid by the due date and the remainder within two weeks of the due date.
You may wish to consider the option of prepayment electricity meters. You simply purchase tokens in varying denominations and use these to credit the meter. This means you pay for the electricity as you need it. There are no accounts or application fees for electricity, although we will still read the meter occasionally for auditing.
You will need the permission of the property owner to install a pre-payment meter. Not all premises are suitable for prepayment meters and there may be costs to install this type of meter, which will be determined on inspection of the site.
Contact our Customer Service Centres for more information.
Charges for electricity, water and sewerage services are standard across the Northern Territory. The charges are published in the Northern Territory Government Gazette and are also available at our Customer Service Centres by phone on 1800 245 092 and at our website www.powerwater.com.au
Charges for electricity and water are based on the amounts you use, recorded by a meter on the property. A fixed daily service charge for water and electricity applies even if no services are used.
Sewerage charges are based on a standard annual charge and are billed quarterly. You are liable for sewerage charges if a sewer is available for connection, even if your land is not connected to that sewer. Commercial customers are also billed additional sewerage charges based on the number of sanitary fixtures installed on the property. We may audit the amount of fixtures at a commercial property from time to time.
You have the right to apply for water or sewerage services on special terms. This situation may apply, for example, where we could not provide the standard levels of service at a reasonable cost.
If a dispute arises about your special agreement, you have the right to seek arbitration from the Utilities Commission.
Customers who build up a credit balance in their account may ask for this sum to be returned to them. Any credit refund will be made in the form of a cheque or through electronic funds transfer. No cash refunds will be issued. Refunds are limited to one per quarter per customer. There is a timeframe to process refunds and it cannot be done immediately.
In some situations we may need to disconnect your power or water as a last resort – but we will always act in a fair and open way.
We may disconnect your electricity or water supply if:
We will give you five days warning in the form of a Final Demand Notice of our intention to disconnect your electricity or water services for failure to pay your account. We would not issue this Final Demand Notice if you had an agreed payment arrangement and you defaulted.
We will not disconnect your services if:
We will reconnect your services when unpaid accounts are paid (or arrangements are made to pay the account) or when breaches of this contract are remedied. Reconnection will generally be the same day or within 24 hours in the major urban centres. A reconnection fee will be charged if a contractor attends your property to disconnect the service regardless of whether the service is physically disconnected or not.
If you have a complaint about the disconnection of your service, please contact us and refer to Our Commitment found earlier in this document.
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Electricity and water supplies are metered. This means that you only get charged for what you have used, plus the fixed daily charge. It also encourages all of us to look after our resources.
All meters remain our property. We will ensure that they meet the appropriate standards and that they are properly maintained and replaced when necessary.
We publish metering codes that set out the detailed arrangements and conditions for installing, testing, verifying and replacing meters. These codes comply with guidelines published by the National Standards Commission. You can see copies of the codes at any of our Customer Service Centres.
We have a continuing right of safe access to read our meters. You need to keep that access free from obstruction by locked gates, barriers, overgrown vegetation and dangerous animals.
If we cannot gain access we may require you to remove the obstruction or have the meter relocated. Please discuss any meter access problems you may have with our customer service staff.
We can provide a padlock (on payment of a deposit), which enables you to secure your property while still allowing access to our staff and contractors. If you want details on this option please contact us.
If we cannot access your property to read your meter we will leave a card in the mailbox asking you to call us and provide a reading.
We will normally calculate your account from the meter reading. If we are unable to read your meter or if your meter has malfunctioned, ceased to register or is damaged, we will estimate your account.
Estimates are based on:
If your account has been estimated because of access problems, we will adjust your account when we obtain an actual meter reading. If you dispute an estimated reading, we may review this in line with the relevant Power and Water policy. Your statement of account or invoice will specify if your account has been estimated.
We have the right via legislation to gain an actual reading of your meter every 12 months to ensure your billing is correct.
We may backdate the estimation of your bill for a maximum of two billing periods where the meter has failed to record accurately because of mechanical failure.
If you dispute the meter accuracy or a meter reading you have the right to ask us to test the meter. We will arrange for your meter to be tested within five working days of your request. You will need to pay for the cost of that test up-front.
If the test shows the meter is not recording within the accuracy of the Australian Standards, we will replace or repair the meter and refund you the cost of the test. We will also refund you any amounts by which we may have overcharged you over the previous quarter.
The landowner is responsible for:
All meters remain our property.
Our high-voltage electricity supply cables, water supply mains and sewers may run through or across your property so we can service other customers. Where this occurs, we have the right to create an easement. This legal arrangement gives us continuing rights of access to those cables, pipes and equipment.
We will provide you with details of any easements that exist on your property.
We need to be able to repair or replace those cables, sewers, pipes or equipment, so it is important that you do not build or plant anything over the easements that would prevent access. We need access 24 hours a day to access chambers, high voltage cables, transformers and other equipment.
If our access to that easement is obstructed, we can direct you to remove the obstruction, or remove it ourselves and recover our costs from you.
On occasions, we need to enter your property to read the meter, to clear a blockage, to undertake planned maintenance, to connect or disconnect supply or in an emergency. You are obliged to provide us with safe access, free from obstructions, barriers and dangerous animals.
We will provide you with prior notice of our need to enter your property, unless it is to read or replace a meter, to disconnect supply or in case of an emergency.
Power and Water’s employees or contractors carry current identification, which they must show you at the time of entering your property if you ask to see it. You should make sure Power and Water employees or contractors working on your property are aware of any potential dangers while they are working on your property.
Generally we will not enter your property before 7.30am or after 6pm. We will only enter your property outside these hours if there is a prior arrangement, an emergency, or we have reasonable grounds for believing there is a breach of this contract, the Electricity Reform Act or the Water Supply and Sewerage Services Act.
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We aim to provide a supply of electricity that is safe, reliable and of a satisfactory quality.
We publish guidelines that provide details of the standard of supply:
Copies of these are available for inspection at any of our Customer Service Centres.
We will design and operate the system to minimise the number of interruptions.
We may need to interrupt supply in an emergency for safety reasons. Your supply will be restored as soon as it is safe to do so.
Unplanned interruptions occur mainly due to lightning, vegetation and birds or animals contacting powerlines. When this happens, we aim to restore your electricity supply within 80 minutes in the major urban areas. In other areas it takes longer to restore power and our target is to restore supply within five hours in 90 per cent of cases. The nature of some faults may prevent us from meeting this target, particularly where those faults arise from major incidents such as cyclones or interruptions to the main gas supply for our power generation.
We may also need to interrupt the power supply to perform essential maintenance on the system. We will give you a minimum of two days advance notice of the work and will indicate how long the interruption is likely to last. This notice is provided through the media and where practical through a letterbox drop.
Our target is that the total duration of all interruptions to supply over the year for an individual customer should not exceed an average of 250 minutes in major urban areas and 500 minutes in other areas.
You are responsible for all low voltage cables and equipment on your property. You are required to maintain the safety of electricity services by:
We aim to provide you with a good quality, safe and reliable water supply. We will:
We will respond promptly to any water quality complaints. Call us on 1800 245 092 so we can investigate the problem.
We will provide water at a pressure and flow-rate suitable for your normal day-to-day usage. We will:
We will design and operate the system to minimise interruptions to supply.
Interruption to the water supply is required from time to time so we can perform essential maintenance on the system. We plan these interruptions during periods of low water use to minimise any inconvenience to you. Supply will be restored as soon as possible.
We will give you at least two days advance warning of any planned interruptions, either through the media or, where practical, letterbox drop.
In the case of planned interruptions, we will set average customer interruption times, as specified in Schedule 2: Our Service Standards.
In the case of a system malfunction or burst, we will restore supply as soon as we can. Average customer interruption times are in Schedule 2: Our Service Standards.
You are responsible for all pipes and connections on your side of the meter and for all water that flows through the meter. We ask that you:
Water is a very precious resource in the Northern Territory, especially in areas supplied by borefields such as Alice Springs where the town drinking-water supply is from the Roe Creek borefield and is not sustainable.
The Northern Territory has one of the highest water usage rates per property in Australia. You can help conserve this precious resource by not wasting water and by using water efficient appliances. Contact any of our Customer Service Centres for information on using water wisely. Not only will you help the environment, this will also save you money.
Power and Water is committed to helping reduce demand on scarce drinking water supplies by providing non-potable supplies in some locations. This water may come from unprotected groundwater or from the re-use of treated wastewater effluent. This water is mainly used for watering public parks, gardens and sports facilities.
The pressure and quality of this non-potable supply will vary by time and location. The standard of supply will be subject to negotiation and agreement with the customer.
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We will provide sewerage services to accept, transport, treat and safely dispose of normal domestic wastewater and approved trade waste.
If a sewage spill occurs in your house you should contact a plumber who will advise you whether the problem arises from your pipes or our sewers.
If the plumber advises us that the spill results from a problem with our sewers then we will:
You will be entitled to reimbursement of the plumber’s fee if they remain on site until our crew arrives, to verify the blockage is in our system.
If you notify us of a spill directly from one of our sewers then we will attend within one hour of notice or advice of the spill.
If there is an unplanned interruption to your sewerage service, we will restore sewerage services within the timeframes specified in Schedule 2: Our service standards.
It is your responsibility to:
You Must Not:
Our sewerage systems are designed to accept, transport and treat normal domestic wastewater. You must seek approval from us before you discharge any other materials, such as trade waste, into our sewers. We publish a Trade Waste Code that sets out the conditions on which trade waste may be discharged into our sewers. Copies of the Code are available from our Customer Service Centres.
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This section sets out the main responsibilities that you have as a customer, under this Customer Contract.
You must pay your account by the due date for payment.
If you will be away for an extended time, contact our customer service officers on 1800 245 092 to make payment arrangements.
You need to tell us:
You must give us easy access to any of our equipment on your property, such as meters and access chambers. Access must be free of obstructions, barriers and dangerous animals.
You need to:
Illegal use of electricity or water supply is theft. Tampering with electricity meters or electricity supply equipment is extremely dangerous.
If supply has been obtained illegally we can:
The theft of electricity and water from illegal tampering or diversion affects the overall cost at which Power and Water can deliver services across the Northern Territory. If you suspect or have knowledge of someone carrying out tampering or theft we encourage you to report it to Power and Water. Your information will be treated confidentially, and may be given anonymously.
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This schedule confirms the urban centres and the surrounding serviced rural areas covered by the Customer Contract.
Major urban
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Power and Water commits to providing electricity or water and sewerage services at minimum average standards of customer service. Some of these are set out in the legislation. This schedule confirms those minimum standards.
Performance Indicator |
Minimum Standard |
|
| Customer Issues | ||
| Special Heallth Needs | Provide five days advance notice of any planned interuptions | |
| Supply Disconnection | Provide five days written warning when diconnecting due to failure to pay accounts, unless a prior payment arrangement has been made | |
| Queries | Respond within five working days | |
| Meter Tests | Arrange test within five days of request | |
| Electricity | ||
| Re-connection of electricity to existing supply properties | Within 24 hours in major urban centres | |
| Connection to new properties | ||
|
For new subdivisions in major urban centres |
Within five working days |
|
Where minor extension or augmentation is required | Within 10 weeks |
|
In other cases | Advised in our quotation |
Restoring unplanned interuptions |
||
|
Major urban centres | Within 80 minutes in 90% of cases |
|
Other centres | Within five hours in 90% |
| Planned interruptions | ||
|
Advanced notice | At least two days (unless work is urgent) |
|
Duration of planned outages (time to restore supply) |
Less than four hours (when practicable) |
Water |
||
| Water quality | Monitor the quality of drinking water against a drinking water monitoring program, agreed with the Depratment of Health and Community Services and report the results to the Chief Health Officer. |
|
| Water flow and pressure * | Minimum flow rate of 20 litres/minute (DN 20 service) and minimum water pressure at the mains tap 15m head | |
| Planned interupption | Two days advanced notice | |
| Restore water service after unplanned interuption* | 95% within five hours | |
| Water Service Reliability | ||
| Unplanned interuptions (average duration) |
||
|
Darwin | Two hours |
|
Alice Springs | Two hours |
| Planned interuptions (average duration) | ||
|
Darwin | 3.1 hours |
|
Alice Springs | 3.1 hours |
Sewerage |
||
| Sewer spill in residence: | ||
|
Notice from a plumber that the fault is due to Power and Water's sewer* | Attend within one hour |
|
Notice or advice of a spill occurring from a Power and Water sewer* | Attend within one hour |
| Restore sewerage restoration after unplanned interuptions* | 97.5% within five hours | |
| Sewerage service system reliability (average duration of unplanned interruption) | ||
|
Darwin | Three hours |
|
Alice Springs | Three hours |
|
||
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