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 RESIDENTIAL
What financial relief is available for customers that have been impacted by the
storm?
Financial relief is available for residential customers affected by prolonged power outages following
the storm event on Wednesday 9 June. Assistance is by the Commonwealth and State Governments
under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and we are supporting the roll-out. The
Prolonged Power Outage Payment of $1,680 per week, for up to three weeks, will be extended to all
eligible customers.
To be eligible for a payment you must:
• Have a residential electricity account
• Be without power as at 12.01am Thursday 17 June 2021, due to the recent severe
weather event
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?
Residential applicants will need to provide the following information as per your account
with your electricity retailer:
• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Phone number
• 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
• Bank account name
• BSB
• Account number
I 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.
Information current at Wednesday 23 June 2021Business 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.
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
• 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 details in the form.
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 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.
Information current at Wednesday 23 June 2021EFT 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.
Will I be paid a lump sum for the time I am off supply?
No. 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.
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.
If I don’t receive an SMS about the 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 have housemates. Can we all apply?
No. The payment is $1,680 per household per week, capped at 3 weeks. Our teams will
validate your payment based on information from your power company which you can find
on your bill. AusNet will not be involved in any discussions or agreements you might make
with your housemates about passing on or sharing 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.
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 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 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.
Information current at Wednesday 23 June 2021I 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.
Customers are only eligible if they were power at 12.01am on 17 June 2021 as a result
of the storms. 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.
I currently have no power and no access to clean water. Where can I go for help?
Local councils and community groups have set up relief hubs where you can access
essential items such as water, food, firewood, shower facilities, device charging and other
support services. If you need urgent assistance or cannot reach a relief hub, please contact
your local council or DHHS for assistance. If it’s an emergency please call 000.
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