http://gregmclean.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/electricity-disconnection-and-state.html Over last weekend the NSW public interest advocacy centre released a number of items around electricity (utility) disconnections, these are in the attached word doc and also available at
I had thought this might be an ideal opportunity to remind our selves of the differences between state owned energy corporations and the private sector.
The following are extracts from NSW State Energy Services Corporations Act 1995,http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/esca1995332/ that relate to requirements of state owned electricity distribution corporations and what you can call social responsibility that relate to services provided by the state owned electricity corps – it can be argued that as result of privatisation of the retail functions, (and in the future of poles and wires if it was to occur ) that NSW electricity consumers, having had their retail functions sold off to the private sector have been disadvantaged as the private sector does not need to abide by the below standards, including social responsibility and regional development ,but rather are no longer governed by this type of legislation but rather are required to consider the profit to its share holders, and the share holders views on the above social policies as opposed to the below balancing) and one would argue social responsibility means less disconnections and helping people pay their electricity accounts– but you might want to check on this or use this argument in the future .
