Innocent victim of power reforms

By CHRIS DANIELS

Caroline Jamieson was a little unusual among electricity consumers.

She was perfectly happy with First Electric supplying electricity to her New Lynn home. But in less than three months, she went from being a model customer to being threatened with debt collectors.

A clerical error and mix-up in addresses led to her - instead of a neighbour - being switched to rival company TransAlta.

The company contacted First Electric in June to say Ms Jamieson wanted to become a customer, so she was duly switched over.

When she rang First Electric in October to see why she had not received a bill for three months, she was told she was no longer a customer.

She protested that she had not switched power companies.

TransAlta was told of the mix-up, so the account went back to First Electric.

Ms Jamieson offered to pay off three months of electricity in instalments, but nothing turned up until a month later, when First Electric wrote threatening to refer the debt to Bay Collection Agency.

TransAlta spokesman Bruce Thompson said it never sent a bill, because "we didn't have enough information."

First Electric spokeswoman Angela Armstrong said a form letter on paying by instalments was never sent out because the company thought confirming on the phone how much she had to pay would be sufficient.

TransAlta, after being told of Ms Jamieson's plight by the Herald, has now sent a $200 cheque. First Electric says she does not have to start instalments until February.

But the saga does not end there. One week after receiving her cheque and apology from TransAlta, she got another letter.

"Welcome to your new residence," it said, ignoring the fact she has lived there for three years. The letter urged her to contact TransAlta immediately. If not, it would cut off her power.

Herald Online feature:
Overload - our troubled power companies

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