Customers of leading energy infrastructure company, Jemena, who are experiencing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to access, via their energy retailer, a suite of support as part of an Energy Network Relief Package announced today.
The Energy Network Relief Package offers support to eligible small-businesses and residential customers across Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia. This includes many of Jemena’s 1.7 million customers in its distribution networks in New South Wales and Victoria.
Jemena’s Managing Director, Frank Tudor, said energy networks were working collaboratively to deliver the package which is an additional complement to the measures announced by the Australian Energy Regulator in its Statement of Expectations of Energy Businesses last week.
“This package provides relief and certainty to customers at this trying time by deferring or waiving network charges for those customers who have been financially impacted as a result of COVID-19,” said Mr Tudor.
“The package builds on the principles outlined by the Australian Energy Regulator in its Statement of Expectations of Energy Businesses and, in addition to financial support, ensures a consistent approach across network businesses when handling issues such as disconnections, reconnections, and planned maintenance.”
Mr Tudor said the Energy Network Relief Package complements other measures taken by Jemena in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve looked critically at all parts of our business and have adapted to new ways of working so we can keep the lights on and the gas flowing while protecting the health and wellbeing of our own people and the broader community.
“Knowing people are working from home in large numbers, we are delaying all non-essential planned outages or shortening the duration where possible. Where maintenance is critical for the safety and reliability of the network we are offering our customers practical solutions such as portable batteries.”
The Energy Network Relief Package applies to customer network charges from 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020.
Gas and electricity network charges account for approximately 35% and 31% of average residential customer retail energy bills in NSW and Victoria respectively.
Relief through the Energy Network Relief Package will be administered by energy retailers as part of their hardship programs.
Full details of the Energy Network Relief Package are available on the Energy Networks Australia website.
