Customers miss compo
Only 10 per cent of Auckland residents affected by a major power outage have been paid promised compensation.
More than 75,000 Auckland residents were affected by a major power outage at the Penrose substation that lasted several days in October 2014, but only 7500 received compensation.
Remuera resident Chris Burns said his home lost power for three days but he never received any money. ’’Effectively I had two adults and two children living with me. Once the hot water ran out there were no hot showers.’’
To qualify for compensation people must have lost power for more than two and a half hours, and had to apply through Vector’s website or by calling them. Anybody could apply for compensation between Dec 4, 2015 and March 4, 2016. Residents received a $50 payment and business customers received $200.
‘‘They claimed there was a lot of promotion about getting com- pensation but I read the papers and didn’t see anything. If I had of seen any publicity I would have done it. No-one I have talked to in my area saw the advertising either. It’s just disappointing really,’’ Burns said.
A Vector spokeswoman said it received and paid out on 7500 requests. She said a ‘service guaranteed payment’ was advertised in local papers and on the Vector website. ‘‘There was a lot of media interest around it at the time and there was a page set up on Vector website so people could request a payment by calling us or using the website,’’ she said.
‘‘If I had of seen any publicity I would have done it.’’