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| Origin Energy: Making huge demands on householders. |
Despite promises from former Premiers Peter Beattie and Campbell Newman to reduce electricity costs, prices are continuing to skyrocket for average Queensland householders.
A circuit breaker needs to be found for struggling families who cannot afford escalating electricity charges.
And if you dare to question sky-high bills, Origin has introduced a new level of corporate bastardry by accusing residents of tampering with their electricity meters.
Electricity companies are fast becoming like our banks - without a spark of decency and revolting business practices.
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| Sam Andary and wife Julie received a bill backdated to December 23, 2011. |
The Courier-Mail reports: A CAMIRA man has been accused of tampering with his power meter and slapped with a $3884 power bill.
Sam Andary, 58, and wife Julie, 56, have always been cautious with their energy consumption, so it came as a shock when they received a bill backdated to December 23, 2011.
“They rang me a few months ago and said they’d send out a technician to check the meter to see if everything is working fine and they changed it to digital,” Mr Andary said.
“That’s all I heard from them until I got this bill.”
Following lengthy conversations with Origin and Energex, Mr Andary has lodged the matter with the Energy and Water Ombudsman of Queensland (EWOQ).
Energex alleges Mr Andary’s meter was tampered with and provided Origin with estimates for how much energy was shaved off the initial readings.
“An inspection by Energex metering staff in December identified a meter at the property had been tampered with, which slowed the meter disc, impacting the accurate reading of energy used at the property,” an Energex spokesman said.
Mr Andary denies having any knowledge of the device being tampered with. Origin Energy said it was liaising with Energex and the EWOQ to try resolve the issue. The ombudsman declined to comment
