Energy woes extend to people in power

By CHRIS DANIELS consumer reporter

No one is above the fray in the world of power competition - even the Consumer Affairs Minister has been threatened with debt collectors by her electricity company.

TransAlta warned Phillida Bunkle that a disputed $25 bill would be handed to debt collectors unless she paid.

Her story came to light yesterday, when Ms Bunkle e-mailed the Herald after readers were asked to send in details of how they were coping with the new competitive market for power companies.

Early this year, TransAlta continued to bill Ms Bunkle after she had been disconnected from its supply.

"It took a great deal of effort to communicate with them.

"On one occasion, I was told to expect a 17-minute wait in having my telephone call answered. In fact, it took 24 minutes."

Ms Bunkle said TransAlta's demands for money stopped, then began again early last month.

It then sent a letter asking for immediate payment of $25, without saying what the money was owed for. One day later, another arrived saying, "Please pay now before we consider a debt collection agency."

"I still have no idea why TransAlta imagines I owe them money or why they're considering passing this to a debt collection agency," she wrote.

Ms Bunkle said the TransAlta letters mentioned a 24-hour account inquiry line, but she had "found this not to be so. I wonder which 24 hours they are referring to."

A TransAlta spokesman said the Bunkle letter was a mistake and there was no debt. The company would apologise.

Managing director John Barton admitted the company's customer procedures were not satisfactory, but said the company was not alone in having this problem and things were improving.

Ms Bunkle's story is typical of the hundreds of disgruntled people who have contacted the Herald since the beginning of our electricity industry investigation.

All follow a similar theme - shoddy service and a constant threat of disconnection and debt collectors.

In the two days since the Herald asked readers to send in their stories of despair on the electricity industry, more than 120 e-mails, 21 faxes, two letters and five phone calls have been received.