Bill’s power shock

By Melissa Meehan
A BEACONSFIELD couple has been left in shock after receiving electricity bills totalling more than $7000 over the past year.
Bill and Sadie Jansen, both in their sixties, said they began receiving higher than average bills in February last year, after a smart meter was installed in their home.
While the bill was relatively small compared to the bills still to come, the $838.49 bill was painfully high, the retired couple paid the bill in full despite finding out that their immediate neighbour was paying, on average $300, a quarter.
They received another bill in May for $759, which again they paid in full – but didn’t expect any worse to come.
On 24 August, the Jansens received a whopping bill of $3189.12, of which they paid $800 in good faith.
Just seven weeks later they received another bill, totall-ing $1758.48 – again the Jan-sen’s paid $800.
The next bill, received in January this year totalled $661.24.
The Jansen’s haven’t paid the bill and have recently received a disconnection notice.
Mr Jansen said he would not go down without a fight.
He contacted Simply Energy immediately after receiving what he describes as an industrial-sized bill in August.
“The discussions since that date, whether verbal or written were always initiated by me, the consumer,” he said.
“Not once was I contacted by Simply Energy – it’s a case of no questions, pay up or face disconnection.”
When the Jansens’ fight was picked up by metropolitan media, things started to change.
“I received the most apologetic phone call from a Simply Energy representative, David Ellerton, who agreed the bills seemed to be abnormally high based on previous accounts,” he said.
The Jansen’s have lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman and are awaiting the results of Simply Energy’s investigation.