HOMEOWNERS are waiting months for new electricity meters to be installed as a result of changes to regulations, with builders running extension cords over fences for power, independent MP Troy Bell has claimed.
Mr Bell said regional communities were disadvantaged by the new guidelines for energy retailers, which prevent SA Power from installing meters.
Previously, SA Power networks was authorised to not only connect a residence to power, but install the meter.
This is now the responsibility of the retailer.
Mr Bell said the new rules posed a significant problem for Mount Gambier residents as retailers do not have technicians based in the region.
“It is fine to have this system in the cities where there are numerous installers from the retail companies,” he said.
“The problem is a retailer has to send someone from the city to install a meter in Mount Gambier.
“This results in the installer often waiting until they have a number of installations to do in our region, which leads to extended times.”
According to Mr Bell, contractors had advised they were waiting between two to seven months for meters to be installed, with some people unable to move into their new homes because the meter had not been installed.
He said he had been informed of an instance where a farmer was forced to pay more than $3000 to have a retailer visit from Adelaide and install a meter on his property.
Mr Bell proposed a “temporary meter” system which would enable power to be supplied and a meter installed and the retailer could install their own meter at a later date.
He said he had written to Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan about the issues faced by local contractors, including Mount Gambier electrician Richard Waters.
Although new timeframe requirements were recently introduced, Mr Waters said they were ineffective in regional areas.
“All the meter installers are based in the city and being so far from Adelaide, it is hard to coordinate,” he said.
“When you try and book a job with SA Power, you have to coordinate with the retailers and they have to coordinate with the installer.
“If you cannot get them there, you have to cancel SA Power.
“Currently they have 15 working days to complete a job, that means a customer could be offline for three weeks.
“Nowadays, retailers will not talk to the contractor because they are not an authorised holder of an account.
“I have to get customers to call the retailers, which wastes their time and mine.
“It is a four-way conversation and completely unnecessary.”
He supported Mr Bell’s temporary meter proposal, saying it would lift pressure off contractors and retailers.
Mr van Holst Pellekaan’s office said the State Government had established a code of conduct in South Australia requiring installation within strict timeframes.
Ministerial staff directed The Border Watch to a media release distributed by Mr van Holst Pellekaan earlier this month, which welcomed the Australian Energy Market Commission’s new rules.
Under the new rules, retailers will have to provide new smart meters by a date agreed with customers or within six working days after a property has been connected to the network.
“The Marshall Government moved months ago to deal with totally unacceptable delays in the installation of smart meters via compensation agreements with South Australia’s biggest electricity retailers,” Mr van Holst Pellekaan said.
