The Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) Gas Distribution System Code of Practice outlines the minimum standards for the Victorian gas distribution system. It includes requirements for:
- the operation of the gas distribution system
- connection, disconnection, reconnection and augmentation
- meter installation, testing, reading and data
- customer dispute resolution
- minimum service standards and guaranteed service level (GSL) scheme.
If we can’t meet the prescribed minimum service standards, you may be eligible for a GSL payment.
Types of GSL payments
We make GSL payments for many reasons, including how often you’re without gas and how long it takes us to get your gas back on.
| If | We will pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Appointments Note: The payment applies if we reschedule the appointment. It doesn’t apply if you reschedule the appointment. |
We need you to be at your property for an appointment, but we’re more than 2 hours late | $50 |
| You don’t need to be at your property, but we fail to attend on the agreed date | $50 | |
| Connections | We don’t connect your property to gas within 1 day of the agreed date Note: This doesn’t apply if the delay is because we can’t access your gas meter. |
$80 per day (up to $240) |
| Long interruptions | Your gas supply is interrupted for more than 12 hours |
$150 |
| Your gas supply is interrupted for more than 18 hours | an additional $150 | |
| Repeat gas interruptions | You experience 5 unplanned interruptions in a calendar year due to network issues | $150 |
| You experience 10 unplanned interruptions in a calendar year due to network issues | an additional $150 |
Repeat gas interruptions
On 19 December 2022, the ESC made amendments to the repeat interruptions GSL payment as part of their final decision for the Unaccounted for gas (UAFG) benchmarks review. For more information, visit Unaccounted for gas benchmarks review 2022.
Repeat interruptions were calculated by calendar year until the end of 2022. From 1 July 2023, these payments will be calculated by financial year (1 July to 30 June).
Transitional repeat interruption GSL payment
From 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2023, the following payments apply for repeat interruptions:
| If | We will pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat gas interruptions | You experience 2 interruptions within a 6-month period | $75 |
| You experience an additional 3 interruptions (total of 5) in the same 6-month period |
an additional $75 |
GSL payments
GSL payments are calculated at the end of every quarter – except for repeat interruption payments, these will be calculated at the end of their relevant period.
You don’t need to submit a claim to receive your GSL payment. If you’re eligible to any of the payments in the tables above, we’ll pay the amount to your gas retailer (the company that sends you your gas bills). They’ll add this amount as a credit on your gas bill.
If you’re eligible for a GSL payment, but don’t receive it, contact your gas retailer.
Who decides the GSL payment amounts?
The GSL payment periods, eligibility criteria and payment amounts are outlined in the Gas Distribution System Code of Practice, which is administered by the Essential Services Commission.
Site clean up
In most underground gas network jobs, we need to dig up nature strips and public paths or roads. This must happen before we can install new gas services or carry out repairs to the network.
If we work on a nature strip, we’ll level the soil on the day we complete our work. We then let the soil settle for several days. Once the soil has settled, we revegetate the site with grass and fresh topsoil.
If we remove any bitumen or concrete outside your property, we'll lay temporary bitumen after our work is complete. We’ll then tell your local council so they can carry out the permanent repair.