Electricity network

Aurora's Supply Reliability Guarantee

Our guarantee
What category am I in?
Do I need to keep track of interruptions?
How do I receive payment?
What should I do if there is an unplanned interruption?
Terms and conditions

Aurora is committed to ensuring the safe supply of electricity to Tasmanian homes and businesses with minimal interruption. From 2008 through to 2012 we’re investing in excess of $550 million to manage operations and improve the electricity distribution system for our customers. Aurora’s supply reliability performance is set and overseen by the independent Tasmanian Energy Regulator.

Although we aim to keep you connected, interruptions to supply are often unavoidable and we cannot promise 100% reliability all of the time. What we can promise is that we will make every effort to keep inconvenience to a minimum.

We have taken our commitment to you one step further by guaranteeing our level of service. If we do not reach this guaranteed service level we will forward a payment to you.

Our guarantee

1. Timely restoration - We promise timely restoration when the power goes out. This means you will receive a payment if you experience a continuous outage greater than the duration listed in the table below.

Timely restoration payment

Your installation category

Outage duration (hours)

Urban – generally customers located in the city areas of Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Devonport and some other regional areas

>16

Semi-rural – generally customers located in rural townships

>16

Rural – generally customers located outside the built up areas of cities and rural townships

>12

>24

Timely restoration payment

$80

$160

2. Reliable supply – We promise a reliable supply for all of our customers. This means you will receive a payment if you experience, in any 12 month period, the number of outages (of greater than one minute) listed in the table below.

Reliable supply payment

Your installation category	Number of outages (in any 12 month period)
Urban – generally customers located in the city areas of Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Devonport and some other regional areas	10
Semi-rural – generally customers located in rural townships	13
Rural – generally customers located outside the built up areas of cities and rural townships	16
Reliable supply payment	$80

What category am I in?

Please call 1300 13 7008 during business hours for more information.

Do I need to keep track of interruptions?

Aurora keeps track of all interruptions to your supply, so there is no need for you to do so. The independent Tasmanian Energy Regulator then audits Aurora’s tracking of interruptions and payments.

How do I receive payment?

If you are eligible for a payment it will be sent to you automatically. You do not have to do anything. You will receive a cheque payment by mail made out to the name/s appearing on your Aurora Account. Our aim is to have the cheque delivered to you within 12 weeks from the last interruption that qualified you for payment. This period allows us to collect and validate our interruption data.

What should I do if there is an unplanned interruption?

Interruptions are often unavoidable. They may be caused by storms, trees or animals striking lines, vandalism or vehicle accidents.

If you lose supply but notice that your neighbours still have power, check your fuses or circuit breakers. If everything seems to be in order, call Aurora’s 24 Hour Emergencies and Faults line on 13 2004, which will also provide up-to-date information on outages. There is no need to call us about your payment during an interruption to your power supply as this is automatically registered.

We will do everything possible to restore your supply quickly.

Terms and conditions

Installations located at King and Flinders Island are excluded from the scheme.
Please refer to the link at www.auroraenergy.com.au/electricity_network or call 1300 13 7008 for further clarification of the category that applies to your installation.
Customers receiving a timely restoration payment of $160 for an outage over 16 or 24 hours do not also receive an $80 payment for more than the 8 hours for the same outage.
The scheme applies to all interruptions regardless of whether they are planned for routine maintenance or unplanned subject to the following exceptions:

Load shedding at ministerial direction;
Momentary interruptions (ie less than one minute);
Interruptions of un-metered supply;
Interruptions that are requested by the customer;
Disconnection for bad debt;
Disconnection for safety;
Widespread interruptions due to ‘rare’ events to be decided by the regulator;
Interruptions for testing and maintenance of service wires, service fuses and meters.

The 12-month period referred to is a ‘rolling period’. For example, if you live in an urban area and an interruption occurs on 20 January 2008 to receive a reliability payment you would have to have experienced ten (10) interruptions between19 January 2007 and 20 January 2008. A new 12-month period commences on the day after the 10th interruption. Because it is a 12-month ‘rolling period’ each interruption expires after one calendar year.