Prolonged Power Outage Payment

Applications for Prolonged Power Outage Payments closed on Thursday 9 December. We administered this program on behalf of the Department of Energy, Land, Water and Planning. For more information on the program visit https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/safety-and-emergencies/power-outages.

We continue to assess existing applications submitted before 9 December. If you have an existing application, submitted prior to Thursday 9 December, please contact us on 1300 360 795 or email customersupport@ausnetservices.com.au.

If you believe you are eligible for a Prolonged Power Outage Payment following the October storms, and have not submitted an application, or would like to provide feedback about the program, please contact the Department of Environment, Land, water and Planning (DELWP) by emailing ppopescalations@delwp.vic.gov.au, calling DELWP on 136 186, or visiting https://www.delwp.vic.gov.au/our-department/contact-us.  Please read the eligibility criteria below to check your eligibility before contacting DELWP.

Eligibility criteria:

Residential:
To be eligible for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment customers must:

• Have a residential electricity account.
• Be an Electricity Account Holder at a property that was without power as at 12.01am Fri, 5 Nov 2021, due to the Fri 29 October 2021 severe weather event in Victoria.
• Not received a prolonged power outage payment for the same electricity account (NMI) following the severe weather event 29 October 2021.
• Have been unable to submit an application before the program closed on 9 December 2021

Business:
To be eligible for the Prolonged Power Outage Payment for Business, customers must:

• Be operating from a location that remained without power as at 12.01am Friday 5 November, 2021 due to the severe weather event on the 29 October.
• Have an annual Victorian payroll of up to $10 million in 2019-20 on an ungrouped basis.
• Hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and have held that ABN at 12.01am Friday 29 October, 2021.
• Be registered with the responsible Federal or State regulator.
• Not received a prolonged power outage payment for the same electricity account (NMI) following the storm event 29 October, 2021.
• Have been unable to submit an application before the program closed on 9 December 2021.