Enduring Support Scheme

ActewAGL's Enduring Support Scheme (PDF, 206KB)

ActewAGL recognises the significant role it has to play in assisting customers that are affected by domestic and family violence.

The ActewAGL Enduring Support Scheme (ESS) provides guidance to customers and advocates who require support from ActewAGL to manage their energy and water accounts. The ESS applies to all residential ActewAGL energy customers residing in the ACT and NSW.

Management of energy account/s

If you are managing a debt with the support of a financial counsellor or advocate, ActewAGL requires your permission to talk to your support person. Once written permission is received, we will engage directly with your contact in accordance with your consent and instructions.

We do not need to contact you regarding details of your experience and circumstances. Your advocate can advise us that ESS support is required to manage your energy account/s.

Advocates include, but are not limited to, the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Hardship Program, Care Inc Financial Counselling Service, Salvation Army Moneycare, St Vincent De Paul, Domestic Violence Crisis Service Canberra, LegalAid, and the Women’s Legal Centre.

Security

We may remove contact names from your account and ask you for a password to protect your account from access.

We may create a new account for you under an alias if you or your advocate feel there is a safety concern.

We will conduct correspondence from a restricted access email inbox. No documents or notes regarding this correspondence are stored on your account. Correspondence or documents are stored in a restricted access drive.

We will place a flag on your account so that trained team members are aware your account is protected under the ESS. We will monitor flagged accounts periodically to ensure they are not improperly accessed.

Financial support

We provide various financial support arrangements. We work with you and/or your advocate to confirm if you are eligible for one of the following:-

Flexible payment arrangements: An agreed payment arrangement is established to manage your account/s and ensure your energy services remain connected. If you have a joint account/s that is in debt, we work with you on the best way forward for your circumstances.
Eligibility for the Staying Connected program: If you are experiencing long term financial hardship you may be eligible for the support of the Staying Connected program. This program is underpinned by the ActewAGL Hardship policy.
Fee waivers: We may waive late payment or rejected payment fees.
Discounted plans: We review your account to ensure you are on the best plan for your energy usage.
Payment assistance vouchers: We may apply a voucher to your account through the ActewAGL Energy Support Fund, or assist you and your advocate in applying for Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) vouchers if you reside in NSW.
Energy efficient appliance support: Where appropriate and possible, we will prioritise your account for any eligible appliance replacement or upgrade programs conducted by the ACT and NSW Government or ActewAGL.
Consideration of debt waivers: We endeavor to work with you to resolve debts incurred under duress. We will consider waiving debt in some circumstances.
Case-by-case management: We acknowledge and respect that your circumstances may be complex and will endeavor to manage your accounts in a way that is most appropriate to your needs.

Access

The Enduring Support Scheme can be accessed by ActewAGL customers.

The scheme is designed to be accessed with the support of an advocate.

Requests for support can be provided by email at StayingConnected@actewagl.com.au, by phone on 1300 138 574 or by online form.

The Scheme can be accessed for a period of up to twelve months, and re-entry to the Scheme will be considered by ActewAGL, in its sole discretion, on a case by case basis.
ActewAGL may cease providing support:

by mutual agreement between ActewAGL, the customer and advocate.
if, in ActewAGL’s reasonable opinion, support is no longer required
when an agreed outcome has been reached
where ongoing engagement or contact is no longer possible, desirable or necessary
if the customer or advocate fail to provide ActewAGL with information it has reasonably requested for the purpose of monitoring, managing or maintaining the scheme
immediately if, in ActewAGL’s reasonable opinion, the customer or advocate do not abide by the terms of the scheme or engage in fraudulent or other unlawful activity in relation to the scheme