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Help with your energy bills

If your business is struggling to pay energy bills, you can choose to delay payment or offer to pay in smaller amounts to avoid disconnection. Energy retailers who are members of the Australian Energy Council (AEC) are making sure help is available to customers affected by the COVID-19. If you're not satisfied after speaking to your retailer, contact the energy ombudsman in your state or territory. An ombudsman is a free and independent dispute resolution service, and each state and territory has one for energy customers to use.

What it covers and how it will benefit users

The Australian Government expects energy providers to offer their customers help including:

  1. waiving disconnection, re-connection, and/or contract break fees for small businesses that have gone into hibernation, along with daily supply charges to retailers, during any period of disconnection until at least 31 July 2020
  2. offering all households and small businesses in financial stress a payment plan or hardship arrangement
  3. not disconnecting customers who may be in financial stress without their agreement before 31 July 2020 and potentially beyond
  4. deferring referral to a debt collection agency, or credit default listing until at least 31 July 2020 and potentially beyond
  5. minimising planned outages, and providing as much notice as possible to help you manage during an outage

Government resource

https://www.business.gov.au/Risk-management/Emergency-management/Coronavirus-information-and-support-for-business/Help-with-your-energy-bills

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