The Broadmeadows Progress Association put this question to the Victorian Essential Services Commission (ESC):
“In doing their best endeavours to install smart meters the distributors are adopting bullying tactics including;
- Threatening to disconnect electricity
- Threatening to impose financial penalties
- Telling the customer that they have to accept installation
- Threatening to break any locked meter box
The Distributors are also ignoring customers’ clear direction that they do not grant permission for the meters to be installed for example;
- The distributors refuse to officially record customers’ direction that permission is not given for installation of the smart meter.
- Notices, placed on meter boxes, clearly stating that permission is not given to install the smart meter, are ignored by the installers.
Is this behaviour by the Distributors in accordance with the Essential Services definition of “best endeavours”?”
In answer to this question the Essential Services Commission wrote:
“ESC does not consider the behaviour described as being consistent with “best endeavours”. We recommend any such instances be brought to the attention of the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV).”
