Aurora Energy has passed the buck over claims that they breached regulatory obligations by issuing “almost 50,000 customers” with late power bills.
Labor says the energy retailer sent out 49,271 bills more than 100 days after their billing date, according to figures from the Government Business Estimates.
“Aurora has a regulatory obligation to provide bills to customers within 100 days,” Shadow Minister for Energy Dean Winter says.
“Households are already doing it tough with the cost of living crisis and delayed power bills add to the pain as households then receive two bills in quick succession.”
Aurora have apologised to customers and attributed the delays to factors ‘outside of their control’, such as a backlog in meter readings by TasNetworks.
The company says they issue 1.5 million bills each year and aims to deliver them within the mandated time period, adding that customers who received late bills were offered extended and flexible payment terms.
READ MORE: ‘Fake power bills sent by Labor’ are scaring vulnerable Tasmanians: Premier
Winter claims that delays in overhauling Aurora’s billing system may have resulted in some customers receiving two or three bills at once and in some cases, entirely inaccurate bills.
“Almost half the complaints received by Aurora last year related to billing – and little wonder given they’ve bungled the rollout of their new billing system,” he said.
“The billing system is now at least 18 months late in finalisation and continues to frustrate customers.”
TasNetworks are yet to respond to Aurora’s backlog claims.
