KEY POINTS:
A Buller cafe owner who received electric shocks from his premises for weeks last year is still upset at the time and effort it has taken to get a compensation offer from electricity contractor Electronet.
Michael Moss said the company had been arrogant and ignorant about reimbursing him for his expenses. Mr Moss runs the Wild Coast Cafe in the West Coast's biggest tourist drawcard, Punakaiki.
He said he got about a dozen shocks around June last year, after Electronet had installed new street lighting across the road from the cafe. Workers removing a chimney from his roof had also got frequent shocks.
Fearful for his customers, particularly those with pacemakers, Mr Moss called in an electrician who could find nothing wrong.
It was then noticed the shocks happened only at night, after the street lights came on. The electrician confirmed that as soon as the lights switched on the building came alive.
Electronet, which is owned by Coast lines company Westpower, came immediately and fixed the problem, caused by a faulty cable.
Power had been running through the ground into Mr Moss' cafe.
Mr Moss approached Electronet twice seeking to recover his costs, but was refused.
He sought legal advice and after an exchange of letters, a complaint to the Energy Safety Service and a complaint to the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commission, Electronet has now offered him $2600.
Electronet asset manager Rodger Griffiths said the compensation issue had taken some time to resolve because it had been between Mr Moss and Electronet's insurer.
- NZPA
