With the rising cost of living pressing down on Queenslanders, the Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland (EWOQ) saw a continued rise in cases throughout much of 2024. Demand for our service was much higher than usual, driven by the economic pressures felt by Queenslanders and the transition issues faced by some providers as they replaced and embedded new billing systems. We saw high numbers of complaints about high bills which often stemmed from affordability issues. However, we were pleased to see case numbers reduce in the final 3 months from October to December.

We closed a total of 2,149 cases this quarter for electricity, gas and water. This is a decrease of 32.3% from last quarter, and a decrease of 5.2% compared to the same time last year.

Since July 1, eligible households have received a $1000 credit on their energy accounts as part of Queensland’s Cost of Living Rebate and part of the $300 rebate from Australia’s Energy Bill Relief Fund which is paid in quarterly instalments.

Jane Pires, the Energy and Water Ombudsman for Queensland, is pleased that these rebates have provided much-needed bill relief for many Queenslanders. ‘We usually see a seasonal decrease in cases in the October-December period. However, this year we saw an even sharper decrease to cases, which indicates that the energy bill rebates are working,’ says Ms Pires.

But as the credit from the rebates start to run out and with the high use of energy in summer, some households may start to feel the bite of energy bills again.

‘During the summer months households use more energy as more people are at home during the holidays and air conditioners are used frequently in efforts to keep cool. We tend to see more cases in the first few months of the new year as households receive a bill for their summer energy consumption and get a shock when it’s higher than expected. Additionally, households may have been enjoying reduced or credit energy bills the past few months due to the cost of living rebates. But larger households like families will start to, or have already, run out of the $1000 credit in the new year. This means we may see an increase in case numbers, particularly with complaints about high bills.’

We encourage everybody who is struggling with their bills to contact their energy or water provider. Providers can discuss your payment options with you and what payment assistance you may be eligible for.

If you’re unhappy with the response you receive from your provider, contact EWOQ for further support. EWOQ provides a free, fair, and independent dispute resolution service for unresolved complaints with electricity and gas providers across Queensland and water suppliers in South-East Queensland.

Find out more about payment assistance for bills.

Submit a complaint online or call 1800 662 837.