We know that making a claim can be tricky, so to help you through this process, we’ve put all the information you’ll need to ensure the claims process is as smooth as possible.
Please read this information thoroughly and confirm you have done so at the bottom of the page before starting a claim.
Here’s what to prepare in advance to complete the claim form successfully and what to expect after you’ve lodged a claim:
What we’ll need from you
1. Your details
Incident & postal address
Email & phone contact
Your bank account
NMI associated with the incident address (optional)
2. Claim item detail
Proof of damage* – damage report from qualified technician(s) and clear photo(s) of damage
Proof of purchase* – original purchase receipt
Location of incident damage
*Format: JPG/JPEG/DOC/PDF *All uploaded files need to be within 3MB each
3. Hold onto damaged item (where applicable)
For the purpose of assessing appliance damage claims, we require you to keep hold of your damaged item until after the outcome of your claim.
Disposing of your damaged item before we have assessed your claim, will not allow us to process your claim.
What happens after lodgement of your claim?
On average it takes 15 business days to investigate a claim – more complex claims may take longer
We review our systems and consult with business areas as part of our investigation
If your claim is eligible for compensation, we’ll send you an offer via email
If you agree to our offer, the funds will be transferred to your bank account within 5-7 business days
In the case where you disagree with the outcome, you can request a review through our Customer Resolutions team
Important information
Compensation available to you
Direct property damage
Compensation you may be entitled to is offered for direct property damage and does not extend to cover consequential losses.
Consequential losses are losses that aren’t directly related to an unauthorised voltage variation, which includes business and food losses.
Where direct property damage occurs, compensation will be offered for the repair or replacement value of an appliance
Where replacement value is offered, we’ll offer like for like (market value) compensation
Unlike an insurance company that offers new for old, we’ll pay for the value of the item at the time of the damage
How is compensation value worked out?
Appliances have an expected lifespan. We take the age of your appliance from the expected lifespan, to work out the remaining life span. We then use the value of a new replacement appliance and the remaining life span to work out the item’s value
Formula:
Example: 4 year old fridge, with an expected lifespan of 12 years. It’s equivalent current replacement value is $900.
Want to know more about compensation available to you? Click here
Difference between voltage variations and power outages
As your electrical distributor, we are obligated to provide quality supply of electricity as per the Distribution Code. Quality supply means providing voltage within the levels set by the Essential Services Commission. Voltage variations can occur during:
A power surge – rapid increase in voltage above the set levels
A brown out – reduced voltage below the set levels
Power outages
From time to time, the supply of electricity can be interrupted due to a range of causes, such as animals, weather, traffic accidents, etc, resulting in a power outage. Damage to your property due to power outages are typically not covered by the Electricity Industry Guideline: No 11, Voltage Variation Compensation.
If you’d like to know more about this, the Victorian Electricity Distributors have jointly created an Unplanned Power Outages Compensation Fact Sheet which explains the compensation process and how customer claims are assessed.
Claims for damages other than appliance damage
There may have been other circumstances that caused damage that you’d like to raise a claim for, such as accidental damage involving our employees or equipment.
These damages will be investigated by our claims team and where it’s appropriate, compensation will be offered.
Additional information for business customers
As part of providing a reliable and stable electricity supply, CitiPower Powercor works hard to maintain and upgrade the network to better serve our customers. However, there are times when voltage variations or power outages can affect customers’ supply experience.
For these times, there are reasonable precautions that businesses can take to protect their plant and equipment, and to improve their ability to ride through such events.
Most common precautions include:
Surge protectors
Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)
Backup generators
We recommend you do a risk assessment and speak to a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) about these precautions. Or in the case of Uninterruptable Power Supplies (UPS), contact a specialist IT service provider.
For a full list of recommended business precautions, click here to find out more.
What if this claims process isn't right for me?
In the case when damages aren’t covered by the Electricity Industry Guideline or compensation was denied after assessment, you can seek to claim damages from your insurance policy.
We can assist you by providing an insurance letter to help with your insurance claim. Choose ‘request an insurance letter’ on the next page and we’ll email you the letter within 5 business days.
Start a claim on the myEnergy portal
Login or register on the myEnergy portal, then choose Customer resolution centre to start your claim
myEnergy
