12:00a.m. 19th July 2008

| By Carolyn Tucker

Over-billing, under-billing, not billing at all, accounts being sent to the wrong address, and refusing to acknowledge their customers – the complaints about AGL just keep coming.

But the government has chosen to remain on the sidelines, saying it is the job of the ombudsman to investigate consumers’ concerns.

Since the Daily published the story about Yandina publican Richard Travers’s woes with the company on Thursday, the paper has been contacted by more angry AGL customers.

Buderim business owners Rod and Pru Gooding said they copped a whopping $6500 bill after it was discovered they were being charged for electricity use at the wrong address.

The error occurred because AGL had incorrectly entered their details and it was picked up by Energex who informed Mr Gooding it had no one registered at his business address on their records.

When he contacted AGL to let them know, he was sent the bill and given seven days to pay for his trouble.

“I said if I have to take $6500 out of my business right now I may as well close the doors and they said ‘that’s your prerogative’,” Mr Gooding said.

AGL eventually agreed to a payment schedule of $1500 immediately and $400 a week, provided Mr Gooding settled his future accounts on time.

“I kept my mouth shut because I was worried they might turn the power off but, when I saw others were also having problems with them, I decided to speak out.

“I just want to get this paid off and then I’ll definitely be changing providers.”

Another of their customers, who preferred not to be named, said she had not received a power bill for nine months and was “freaking out” about what she would eventually be charged.

The Sippy Downs resident she had made many calls to AGL trying to have the problem rectified but as was the case with Mr Travers and others, the company refused to recognise her as a customer.

“I can’t change to another company because they say I’m not their customer so I can’t get out of this hole,” she said.

“I’m sick of sitting on the phone and arguing with them. I’m worried about the power being turned off or receiving a huge bill and I just want it to end!”

Sunshine Coast pensioner Brian Young said he got so fed up with the shabby service he was receiving he decided to switch to another provider but ultimately had to seek the intervention of the ombudsman.

Mr Young thought the matter had been resolved until he queried the government charges on his final account from AGL when it arrived this week.

The next day he received another bill for almost three times the amount stated on the first account.

“I was on the phone to them for an hour and they said they’d cancel those two bills and send me another one for a different amount again.

“How do you get three bills with different amounts for the same period and the same reading?

“I can’t get any sense out of them – it’s a shambles and it just does my head in.”

“I’ve gone back to the ombudsman and when I told the fellow there what had happened he just said ‘Oh my God’.”

An AGL spokesman said the company had investigated each of the matters raised by readers of the Daily and had made contact with the customers concerned.

AGL has also spoken to Yandina Hotel’s owner and outlined how the energy upgrade will be fast-tracked.

Asked whether the government intended to intervene or investigate the matter, Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said that’s what the ombudsman was there for.

“That’s exactly why we set up an energy ombudsman, so that people have someone to turn to in times like these,” Mr Wilson said.

“I would encourage anyone with any concerns about AGL, Origin or any other electricity retailer to head straight to the energy ombudsman.

“It’s a free, fair and independent service to help consumers with ... concerns.”