Making a claim

Where direct property damage has occurred, compensation may be offered for the repair or replacement value of an appliance.

Where replacement value is offered, we’ll offer like for like (market value) compensation. Unlike an insurance company that offers new for old, we’ll pay for the value of the item at the time of the damage.

Formula for claims

The amount claimed is divided by its expected lifespan, in years. This equals a yearly value. The yearly value is then multiplied by the remaining lifespan, in years. This equals the compensation value.

Example: a four-year-old fridge

• The amount claimed for a four-year-old fridge is $900. The expected lifespan of the fridge is 12 years.
• The amount claimed ($900) is divided by expected lifespan (12) equalling $75 ($900 ÷ 12 = 75)
• The current age of the fridge (4) is subtracted from the expected lifespan (12) equalling 8. This is its remaining lifespan. (12 – 4 = 8)
• The yearly value ($75) is multiplied by its remaining lifespan (8) equalling $600. This is the compensation value. ($75 x 12 = $600)
• The amount of compensation to be paid for the four-year old fridge is $600.

You may want to make a claim under your insurance policy if:

• you’re seeking compensation on a new for old basis
• you aren’t eligible to make a claim.

If we have a record of an incident affecting your property, we can provide a letter to help assist with your insurance claim.

To request an insurance letter, go to myEnergy, login or register and choose ‘request an insurance letter’. We’ll email you the letter within five business days.

In the event of a voltage variation, business customers are required to confirm they have reasonable protection in place to be eligible for compensation. Precautions include:

• surge protectors
• uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)
• back up generators.

We recommend you do a risk assessment and speak to a Registered Electrical Contractor about these precautions. Or in the case of uninterruptable power supplies, contact a specialist IT service provider.

For a full list of recommended business precautions, visit our power quality page.

An unplanned power outage is when your electricity supply goes off unexpectedly but no voltage variation occurs.

In the event of an unplanned power outage, where our service standards for supply restoration or reliability are not met, you may be entitled to a Guaranteed Service Level payment. This is an automatic payment, you do not need to submit anything.

For information visit the network reliability page.

Occasionally, accidental damage may occur. If you’ve experienced other losses and believe we are responsible, please contact us. These damages will be investigated and you could be eligible for compensation.

• Proof of damage – damage report from a qualified technician* and clear photos of the damage
• Proof of purchase – scan or photo of the original purchase receipt
• Location of incident damage

If applicable, please hold onto your damaged item while your claim is being assessed.

*A qualified technician is a person suitably qualified to assess the damage of the item, eg. an electrician for electrical installation, and a manufacturer or appliance repair for TVs, fridges, etc.