Prolonged Power Outage Payment FAQ's - Wednesday 23 June 2021 - AusNet Services
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Prolonged Power Outage Payment FAQ’s
Wednesday 23 June 2021
Key updates – Prolonged Power Outage Payment
The Commonwealth and State governments are providing financial relief for customers affected by
prolonged power outages following the storm event on Wednesday 9 June.
Residential customers
• Payment of $1,680 per week, for up to three weeks, will be available to eligible customers.
• To be eligible for a payment you must:
o Have a residential electricity account
o Be without power as at 12.01am Thursday 17 June 2021, due to the recent severe weather
event
Business customers
• Payment of $2,500 per week, capped at 3 weeks, will be available to eligible customers.
• To be eligible for a payment you must:
o Have an annual payroll of less than $10 million
o Be without power as at 12.01am Thursday 17 June 2021, due to the recent severe weather
event
We will directly contact all customers who are eligible for relief payments via SMS. If you are eligible
you can expect to hear from us via SMS, we’ve been rolling out SMS for Residential customers and
SMS for business customers will be rolling out with the web form available from Wednesday morning.
Key contacts and information
All current information can be found on the AusNet website ausnetservices.com.au/Storm-
Update
Stay up to date on outage tracker outagetracker.com.au
Call: 1300 561 171 8am-8pm 7 days a week.
Email: stormrelief@ausnetservices.com.au Life Support Customers should contact our 24-hour
priority line on 1800 818 832.
Stay away from fallen power lines and report faults and emergencies at any time on 13 17 99.
Relevant links:
• https://www.ausnetservices.com.au/en/About/News-Room/News-Room-2021/Storm-Update
• https://www.ausnetservices.com.au/en/Outages/Claims-And-Complaints/Prolonged-Power-
Outage-Payment
Privacy Declaration
Personal details provided are collected and used for the purposes of confirming eligibility for payment and to
support assurance and auditing activities. The information provided may be shared with the Victorian and Australian
Governments, including but not limited to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Information current at Wednesday 23 June 2021FAQ’s FOR BUSINESS
What financial relief is available for businesses that have been impacted by the
storm?
Businesses who meet the eligibility criteria can claim $2,500 per week under the Prolonged
Power Outage Payment. This payment is designed to support continued operations and
address financial hardship caused by the ongoing impact of the severe weather event.
Business payments will take a few extra days as business applications will be reviewed by
the State Revenue Office prior to being approved, but payment should be received within 8
working days of submission - as advised by the State Revenue Office.
To be eligible for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment, a business must:
• be operating from a location that remained without power as at 12.01am
Thursday 17 June 2021 due to the recent severe weather event in Victoria
• have an annual Victorian payroll of $10 million or less in 2019-20 on an
ungrouped basis
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at
12.01am Thursday 17 June 2021
• be registered with the responsible Federal or State business regulator
• not have received a Prolonged Power Outage Payment for the same
electricity account (NMI).
What is the eligibility criteria for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment?
For residential applicants, you must:
• receive an electricity bill
• have remained without power at 12.01am Thursday 17 July 2021 due to the
recent severe weather event in Victoria
• hold the electricity bill in the name of an individual person/s (not a business).
What details do I need to provide when applying for the Prolonged Power Outage
Payment?
Business applicants will need to provide:
• Legal Name
• Trading Name
• ABN
• WorkCover Employer Number (for employing businesses only)
• Authorised Contact of the Business Applicant First Name (the person
submitting the form)
• Authorised Contact of the Business Applicant Last Name (the person
submitting form)
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Name of business applicant as per the electricity account*
• National Meter Identifier (NMI) number*
• Meter Number*
* This can be found on your electricity bill. If you have more than one meter number listed,
please use the one with the highest usage applied.
If you would like to be paid via EFT, you will need the following details for your bank
account:
• Bank Name
• Account Name
• BSB Number
• Account Number
Information current at Wednesday 23 June 2021I can’t find the NMI number or meter number on my bill. Where should I look?
All retailers list their NMI and meter numbers in a different spot. When you look at your bill,
make sure you are viewing the full bill. Sometimes your retailer will email you the summary,
but you need to download or log in to your online account to review your full bill.
If you still can’t find these numbers, call your retailer and ask them for assistance.
If you have your NMI number but can’t find your meter number, take a look at your electricity
meter. Most meters will show your meter number (but not your NMI number).
How long will it take to receive my payment?
If you were able to submit your form successfully, payments will be processed within 5
business days of us receiving your form.
Business payments will take a few extra days as business applications will be reviewed by
the State Revenue Office prior to being approved, but payment should be received within 8
working days of submission.
I meet the eligibility criteria but when I try to submit the form but it says I’m not
eligible. Why is this?
Some households and businesses don’t initially meet If you think you are eligible and receive
this error message, send an email to stormrelief@ausnetservices.com.au with the details
requested in the form and we will review and process your application manually. Please do
not send your bank account details in this email.
For business applicants, you must:
• be operating from a location that remained without power as at 12.01am
Thursday 17 June 2021 due to the recent severe weather event in Victoria
• have an annual Victorian payroll of $10 million or less in 2019-20 on an
ungrouped basis
• hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at
12.01am Thursday 17 June 2021
• be registered with the responsible Federal or State business regulator
• not have received a Prolonged Power Outage Payment for the same
electricity account (NMI).
Note that all business applications will be reviewed by the State Revenue Office prior to
being approved.
The form is saying that the information I’ve entered is wrong. Why is this?
The form for prolonged power outage payments checks your submission against the details
provided to us by your energy retailer, the power company you pay your bills to. If the details
don’t match up exactly, the form will not be able to verify your details.
Once you hit the “submit” button, the form keeps a record of what you’ve entered & alerts us
that you’re having trouble validating your information. Our team will contact you by phone to
help you identify which information couldn’t be validated and assist you submitting your
claim. We’ve received a high volume of claims, so please allow 1-2 businesses days for our
team to contact you.
Some things to check when submitting details are:
• If your bill is in more than one name, your power company often only passes
on one to us. Submit your form with only one name.
• If you have changed your phone number, you may like to try entering your old
one or your landline
Information current at Wednesday 23 June 2021• Enter your NMI and meter details as only numbers. Don’t include spaces,
symbols or letters. Only enter the first 11 numbers of your NMI, even if it has
more.
• Make sure your bank account details are in the right format. Don’t include any
spaces or symbols in your BSB or account numbers
I need help lodging my Prolonged Power Outage Payment. Where can I go
for assistance.
Our dedicated storm relief hotline is open 8am to 8pm, 7 days. Call 1300 561 171 for
assistance.
If you’d like to speak to someone in person, you can visit our team at the following locations:
• Kalorama Memorial Oval – 10am to 2pm every day up to and including Friday
25 June
• Olinda Football Club – 10am to 2pm every day up to and including Friday 25
June
• Monbulk Office, Yarra Ranges Shire Council – 10am to 2pm every day up to
and including Friday 25 June.
How will the Prolonged Power Outage Payments be made?
Payments will be made via EFT directly into your nominated bank account within 5 business
days of a successfully submitting and validating your details for residential customers, and 8
business days for business customers.
Customers can choose to receive a cheque if they prefer. If you select to be paid via cheque,
please expect to wait 2-3 weeks while the cheque is prepared and mailed to you. If you
would like to receive a cheque, please select the “cheque” option in the payment section of
the online form.
EFT and cheque are the only options available. We can’t credit the money to your power bill,
but you can arrange that through your retailer once you receive the funds.
If the outage goes for longer than 3 weeks, will I still receive payments?
No. The payments will be capped at 3 weeks for both residential and business customers as
outlined by the state government.
What if I don’t receive an SMS about the Prolonged Power Outage Payment? Does
that mean I’m ineligible?
If you haven’t received an SMS but think you are eligible, please try completing the form
online here.
Can I still claim the Prolonged Power Outage Payment if my landlord pays my bill?
The claim must be submitted in the bill payer’s name. AusNet will not be involved
in any discussions or agreements you might make with your landlord about passing on the
Prolonged Power Outage Payment.
I receive multiple electricity bills for different addresses. Can I apply for a Prolonged
Power Outage Payment for each of these addresses?
You may submit one claim for each premises you receive a bill for. Each claim must be
submitted under a different NMI and meter number.
You cannot claim the Prolonged Power Outage Payment using a gas bill. It applies to
electricity bills only.
Will I be paid a lump sum for the time I am off supply?
Information current at Wednesday 23 June 2021No. You will be paid separately for each week you are off supply. If you are off supply for 3
weeks you will receive 3 separate payments of $1,680 for residential and $2,500 for
business.
I’m a sole trader or business operating from home and have already applied for the
residential payment. Can I apply for the business one as well?
You can’t receive payments under both the residential and business schemes.
If you qualify for the business Prolonged Power Outage Payment but have already applied
under the residential scheme, you will need to submit a new application under the business
scheme. If your business application is successfully validated by the State Revenue Office,
you will be paid an additional $820 (the difference between the $2,500 business payment
and the $1,680 residential payment).
Can I check the status of my Prolonged Power Outage Payment?
If you haven’t received your payment or heard from our team 1 week after submitting the
form, please call us on 1300 561 171.
Do I need to reapply for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment if my power is still out
next week?
No. If you still meet the eligibility requirements, payments will be made automatically to
eligible customers each week (capped at 3 weeks). If you think you should have received
another payment but didn’t, please call our storm relief hotline on 1300 561 171 or
email stormrelief@ausnetservices.com.au.
I was off power for multiple days. Do I qualify for any payments?
The eligibility criteria for this payment has been set by the state government. At this stage,
the payments are focussed on people who have been without power for over a
week. Customer are only eligible if they were power at 12.01am on 17 June 2021 as a result
of the storms. Unfortunately you do not qualify for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment if
your power was restored prior to 12.01am on Thursday 17 June 2021. The eligibility
criteria has been set by the state government. You may be eligible for other state or local
government assistance. Please contact DHHS or your local council to discuss what support
you might be able to access.
My power was back on before Thursday 17 but has since gone off again. Am I eligible
for any payments?
This depends on the reason why the customer was without power e.g. was it a planned
outage, were they on generation and disconnected. If customers think they are eligible and
want to dispute they can contact us at StormRelief@ausnetservices.com.au and we will
investigate.
Please note – investigations are taking some time to complete.
I didn’t receive a confirmation email when I lodged my Prolonged Power Outage
Payment application, but I know some others did. Is there a way I can check you
received my application?
As of Wednesday 22/06 all customers who submit an application will receive a unique
application number. If you successfully completed your application you will be paid in 3-5
bus days. If we identify any issues with your bank account information we will contact you.
If you were not able to successfully complete your form, and you are eligible, we will contact
you.
How do I know my data is safe when I send it to you via the webform or email?
Please refer to our privacy policy on collection use and storage of
info. https://www.ausnetservices.com.au/Misc-Pages/Privacy
Information current at Wednesday 23 June 2021You can also read
