❓ WA Parliament Question on Notice regarding electricity disconnections, disconnection warnings, and Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS) applications and payments for Horizon Power and Synergy in 2020. A moratorium on disconnections was implemented from April 2020.
AnsweredQoN 800Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
ELECTRICITY RETAILERS —
DISCONNECTIONS
800. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the minister representing the Minister for Energy:
For each energy retailer in Western Australia,
I ask the following.
(1) How many disconnection warnings were issued for
each calendar month of 2020 for residential and non-r esidential customers?
(2) How many
disconnections occurred for each calendar month of 2020 for residential and
non-residential customers?
(3) What was the
number of applications received and hardship utility grant scheme payments made
for each calendar month of 2020?
DISCONNECTIONS
800. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the minister representing the Minister for Energy:
For each energy retailer in Western Australia,
I ask the following.
(1) How many disconnection warnings were issued for
each calendar month of 2020 for residential and non-r esidential customers?
(2) How many
disconnections occurred for each calendar month of 2020 for residential and
non-residential customers?
(3) What was the
number of applications received and hardship utility grant scheme payments made
for each calendar month of 2020?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable Leader of the
Opposition for some notice of the question. The following information has been
provided to me by the Minister for Energy.
(1)–(3) The
answers are in tabular form. I seek leave to have them incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted.
The following
material was incorporated —
Horizon
Power
(1)
Warnings
Month
Residential
Non Residential
January 2020
1883
442
February 2020
1526
377
March 2020
1213
274
April 2020
0
0
May 2020
0
0
June 2020
0
0
July 2020
0
0
August 2020*
0
0
Total:
4622
1093
*
Numbers as at 18 August 2020.
(2)
Disconnections
Month
Residential Disconnections
Non-residential Disconnections
January 2020
256
36
February 2020
189
22
March 2020
148
23
April 2020
0
0
May 2020
0
0
June 2020
0
0
July 2020
0
0
August 2020*
0
0
Total:
593
81
Following the State Government's 31 March 2020
announcement regarding the disconnections moratorium, Horizon Power temporarily suspended disconnections for all customers and revised
its collections notifications to ensure a focus on keeping customers connected.
These changes included extended time for customers to pay their bills.
Further,
Horizon Power undertook a multi-channelled customer engagement campaign across
the regions which has been effective in communicating the Government's
and Horizon Power's various support measures and services.
In the
past month, customer calls seeking payment support measures have declined
significantly.
* Numbers as at 18 August 2020.
(3)
HUGS Applications and Payments
Month
Applications
Payments
January
2020
60
42
February
2020
45
48
March
2020
29
25
April
2020
18
14
May
2020
27
20
June
2020
30
21
July
2020
27
21
August
2020*
9
3
Total:
245
194
*
Numbers as at 18 August 2020.
Synergy
(1)
MONTH
DISCONNECTION WARNINGS ISSUED
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
NON-RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
January
2020
8161
1230
February
2020
5611
971
March
2020
3481
898
April
2020
0
0
May
2020
0
0
June
2020
0
0
July
2020
0
2
(contestable business customer)
(2)
MONTH
DISCONNECTIONS
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
NON-RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
January
2020
938
54
February
2020
1113
90
March
2020
957
57
April
2020
0
0
May
2020
0
0
June
2020
0
0
July
2020
0
2
(contestable business customer)
(3)
NUMBER OF HARDSHIP UTILITY GRANT SCHEME* PAYMENTS
RECEIVED BY SYNERGY FROM DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES
January
2020
500
February
2020
502
March
2020
466
April
2020
348
May
2020
199
June
2020
191
July
2020
346
*It
should be noted that the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme is administered by the
Department of Communities.
Opposition for some notice of the question. The following information has been
provided to me by the Minister for Energy.
(1)–(3) The
answers are in tabular form. I seek leave to have them incorporated into Hansard .
Leave granted.
The following
material was incorporated —
Horizon
Power
(1)
Warnings
Month
Residential
Non Residential
January 2020
1883
442
February 2020
1526
377
March 2020
1213
274
April 2020
0
0
May 2020
0
0
June 2020
0
0
July 2020
0
0
August 2020*
0
0
Total:
4622
1093
*
Numbers as at 18 August 2020.
(2)
Disconnections
Month
Residential Disconnections
Non-residential Disconnections
January 2020
256
36
February 2020
189
22
March 2020
148
23
April 2020
0
0
May 2020
0
0
June 2020
0
0
July 2020
0
0
August 2020*
0
0
Total:
593
81
Following the State Government's 31 March 2020
announcement regarding the disconnections moratorium, Horizon Power temporarily suspended disconnections for all customers and revised
its collections notifications to ensure a focus on keeping customers connected.
These changes included extended time for customers to pay their bills.
Further,
Horizon Power undertook a multi-channelled customer engagement campaign across
the regions which has been effective in communicating the Government's
and Horizon Power's various support measures and services.
In the
past month, customer calls seeking payment support measures have declined
significantly.
* Numbers as at 18 August 2020.
(3)
HUGS Applications and Payments
Month
Applications
Payments
January
2020
60
42
February
2020
45
48
March
2020
29
25
April
2020
18
14
May
2020
27
20
June
2020
30
21
July
2020
27
21
August
2020*
9
3
Total:
245
194
*
Numbers as at 18 August 2020.
Synergy
(1)
MONTH
DISCONNECTION WARNINGS ISSUED
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
NON-RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
January
2020
8161
1230
February
2020
5611
971
March
2020
3481
898
April
2020
0
0
May
2020
0
0
June
2020
0
0
July
2020
0
2
(contestable business customer)
(2)
MONTH
DISCONNECTIONS
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
NON-RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS
January
2020
938
54
February
2020
1113
90
March
2020
957
57
April
2020
0
0
May
2020
0
0
June
2020
0
0
July
2020
0
2
(contestable business customer)
(3)
NUMBER OF HARDSHIP UTILITY GRANT SCHEME* PAYMENTS
RECEIVED BY SYNERGY FROM DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES
January
2020
500
February
2020
502
March
2020
466
April
2020
348
May
2020
199
June
2020
191
July
2020
346
*It
should be noted that the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme is administered by the
Department of Communities.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.