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The price review is a process that involves proposals from the Electricity Distributors and final approval from the Australian Energy Regulator.

On 9 December 2011, the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) determined that the Victorian Electricity network pricing proposals comply with Part I of Chapter 6 of the National Electricity Rules (NER) and the AER’s 2011–15 distribution determination, and that all forecasts associated with the proposals are reasonable.

Final pricing was published by Distributors on 14 December 2011. New Service Charges take effect as at 1 January 2012 and all Distributors have published updated Distribution Service Charges on their websites.

Origin incurs Service Charges costs when a Distributor provides services for an Origin customer. The Distributor bills Origin for the service and (in most cases) Origin recovers this expense from its customer.

Below are the new Distribution charges that apply from 1 January 2012 – (GST Inclusive).

Service Charges

Service class	Service type	Powercor	SPAusnet	Jemena (AGL)	Citipower	Jemena UE
Supply Abolishment	Single Phase BTS Pole - (coincidental disc)	$386.65	$412.28	$498.71	$420.88	$98.30
Supply Abolishment	Single Phase BTS Pole - (independent disc)	$386.65	N/A	$498.71	$420.88	$196.55
Supply Abolishment	Multi Phase BTS Pole - (coincidental disc)	$504.79	$412.28	$498.71	$519.74	$98.30
Supply Abolishment	Multi Phase BTS Pole - (independentl disc)	$504.79	N/A	$498.71	$519.74	$390.54
New Connection	Single Phase builders supply in perm position	$386.65	$178.95	$470.13	$420.88	$235.71
New Connection	Overhead - single phase off peak / NON off peak	$386.65	$221.58	$470.13	$420.88	$235.71
New Connection	Underground - single phase off peak / NON off peak	$386.65	$178.95	$470.13	$420.88	$235.71
New Connection	Overhead - multi phase	$504.79	$309.90	$575.30	$519.74	$235.71
New Connection	Underground - multi phase	$504.79	$229.90	$575.30	$519.74	$235.71
Disconnection	Move-Out	$31.03	$17.58	$23.90	$20.44	$42.03
Service Truck Visit	Service Truck Visit	$464.12	$269.83	$364.19	$421.10	$119.58
Service Truck Visit	Wasted Service Truck Visit	$248.12	$136.73	$363.12	$265.85	$49.14

After consultation with the Gas and Electricity Distribution businesses regarding the anticipated workload leading up to the Christmas period, it is recommended that requests for electricity, gas service lines and gas meters required before Christmas be submitted to Origin by the following dates:

• Electricity – Friday 2 December 2011

(Both the Electrical Work Request & Certificate of Electrical Safety must be received by this date)

Please note that in the case where the electricity connection is in the clients name. Origin is required to contact your client before the request can be processed and sent to the distribution company. Please ensure your client's daytime contact number is provided on the request.

• Gas Service Line – Wednesday 16 November 2011

The Gas Distribution companies require the site to be accessible and free from obstructions from the date nominated on your request as 'lock-up'.

• Gas Meter - Friday 16 December 2011

The gas service line must be completed before a gas meter request is lodged.
Please ensure lot number (street number also if available) is visible at the site.

September 2011

To comply with Regulatory Requirements, we now require more information to arrange for installation of gas meters, including:

• Full Name/s of Account Holder
• Contact Telephone Number
• Residential accounts will need to provide date of birth of account holder
• Business Accounts will need to provide ABN
• Business Accounts will also be required to nominate a contact and details

Without this mandatory information we will not be able to process gas meter connection requests.

To assist, we have produced a revised gas meter connection request proforma with fields for the required information.

We have also established a new email address to contact Origin with your meter connection requests and follow-up enquiries:

gasmeterfixvic@originenergy.com.au

We recommend you provide us with as much notice as possible prior to requiring your gas meter to be connected to allow for processing and Gas Distributor scheduling.

September 2011

Origin will be changing over to a new billing, payments and customer relationship management system for all our customers from 4 October 2011. All new gas & electricity accounts will now be managed in a single operating system (SAP).

The migration of data from the two existing systems to SAP requires all Service Order processing to be suspended from Wednesday 5 October to COB Friday 7 October. Processing will commence again on Monday 10 October with a short backlog expected for the first few days.

Gas Service Lines:

Gas Service Line requests should not be affected for the duration of this suspension provided the Service Line requests are submitted as per normal practice at or near "Frame Stage."

Electricity Connections:

We ask that you take into account the suspension period when co-ordinating your construction schedule.

Gas Meters:

We suggest that you submit your request for gas meters earlier than normal to allow for the suspension period, but please ensure the gas service line is installed prior to requesting the gas meter.

Apart from suspension of Service Order processing, it will be business as usual, therefore if you have an enquiry during this time you may still contact us on:

• Electricity Connections - 1300 132 480 or newconnections@originenergy.com.au
• Gas Service Lines - 1300 132 480 or gasconnectionrequests@originenergy.com.au
• Gas Meters – 132 973 or enquiries@natresponse.com.au

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

Further to the announcement of 6 June 2011 (below), we now believe there is a possibility that the server issue may have impacted into the following day (Friday 6th May).
To ensure your application was received, we again request that you resubmit any application sent to us on both Thursday 5th May and Friday 6th May.

Once again, we apologise for the inconvenience this may cause you.

June 6, 2011
It has been brought to our attention that there was a technical problem with the Origin IT server on Thursday 5th May 2011. This may have resulted in some Gas Service Line Applications submitted via fax or email not being received.

To ensure we have received your applications, we ask that you resubmit any applications sent on 5th May only.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

July 2010

Queensland Electricity Distributor, Energex has received approval from Queensland Government to increase the charge For a Builders Temporary Supply (BTS) connection.
The new charge of $358.75 (GST inc) is affective from 1st July 2010.
Origin as an Energy Retailer is required to pass through the increased distribution charges.

November 2009

Electricity distributor, Energex has advised of a change in the process of requesting a new electricity connection.

The new process is:

1. Electrical contractor submits EWR/Form 2 to Energex nominating Origin as Retailer of Choice.
2. Energex forwards copy of EWR/Form 2 to Origin in "Real Time".
3. Origin contacts the person/entity nominated on the EWR/Form 2 as the "customer".
4. Origin creates account and issues B2B to Energex.
5. Energex link EWR/Form 2 with B2B within 24 hrs then schedules work to be carried out.
6. Electricity supply connected within 5 working days (provided no faults or emergencies etc).

This will streamline the process where Origin will contact person/entity nominated within 24 hours of receiving the EWR/Form 2. Therefore, there is no need for builder, electrical contractor or customer to contact Origin. Builders/customers should contact their electrical contractor to ensure EWR/Form 2 has been submitted prior to calling Origin for an update of the installation of their meter.