WHG Management Limited

Consumer Care Policy

Last updated: September 2026

WHG Management Limited ("WHG") has a consumer care policy, set out in full below, which describes how we work with customers who are having difficulty paying their electricity account, and the process we follow if an account remains unpaid.

Our commitment to you

We recognise that electricity supply makes an essential contribution to you and your household's wellbeing, and we are committed to working with you in a respectful, collaborative and constructive way. If you are experiencing difficulty paying your electricity account, we encourage you to contact us as early as possible. If you contact us before any disconnection date, we will work with you to try to resolve the payment difficulty and avoid disconnection wherever reasonably possible.

How we communicate with you

We will communicate with you, and with any other residential consumer at your property, in a way that is understandable, timely, clear and accessible, and we will do our best to adapt how we communicate based on your needs. When you sign up, and when we first contact you about your account each year, we will ask for at least two ways to contact you (for example, phone, email, post or text) and any other information that will help us communicate with you effectively, such as language preferences or accessibility needs.

You can nominate an alternate contact person, who we may contact if we are unable to reach you directly, and/or a support person, who can help you understand and communicate with WHG. If you are not confident communicating in English, you can nominate a support person to assist you.

Support available if you are having payment difficulties

Where we know, or ought to know, that a customer may be experiencing payment difficulties, we will use our best endeavours to engage with that customer and, as appropriate, will:

• explain the steps and timeframes involved in resolving an overdue account;
• discuss and, where suitable, offer a payment plan tailored to the customer's circumstances;
• provide information on energy efficiency and ways to reduce electricity use;
• review the customer's electricity usage over the past 12 months where relevant;
• consider whether a lower-cost pricing plan is available and suitable; and
• offer referral to independent budgeting and social support services (see below).

Overdue accounts and contact process

If a payment is not received by its due date, we will issue a written reminder notice as soon as reasonably practicable. This notice will confirm that WHG has a consumer care policy and include a copy of it or a link to it. If the account remains overdue, we will make at least three attempts to contact the customer, spread over seven or more days, to discuss the account and available support options, including reminding you that you may nominate a support person or an alternate contact person. This is separate from any further contact required before a disconnection notice is issued.

Choosing the right pricing plan

We will help you understand whether your current pricing plan is the most suitable for your circumstances, including explaining any conditions you need to meet to get the most benefit from a plan and any drawbacks, such as fees. If you are experiencing payment difficulties, we will also consider, based on your usage over the last 12 months, whether a lower-cost pricing plan is available to you.

Your electricity consumption data

You can ask us at any time for information about your electricity consumption to help you make decisions about which pricing plan suits you best.

Disconnection process

Disconnection for non-payment is only ever considered as a last resort, after the steps above have been followed. Before disconnecting a property for non-payment, WHG will, in accordance with the Consumer Care Obligations:

• make at least five contact attempts in total, clearly explaining any pending disconnection and its consequences;
• issue a written initial disconnection notice no earlier than 28 days after the relevant invoice date;
• issue a written final disconnection notice, no earlier than 44 days after the invoice date and between 24 hours and 10 days before the disconnection date, which will include:
  • a statement that we will actively work with you to resolve the payment difficulty and avoid disconnection if you contact us before disconnection occurs, even if you have not responded to our earlier contact attempts;
  • information on payment options, dispute resolution, and disconnection and reconnection fees;
  • contact details of Work and Income; and
  • where to get further help, including information about medically dependent consumer registration; and
• confirm that the customer has not entered into (or is not substantially adhering to) a payment support arrangement, and that full payment has not been received.

WHG will not disconnect a property where we know, or ought to know, that a medically dependent consumer resides there, or where disconnection would endanger the wellbeing of occupants (for example, due to the time of day, weather, or an inability to reasonably reconnect supply promptly).

If your electricity has been disconnected, please contact us to discuss reconnection. We will reconnect your supply as soon as reasonably practicable once the outstanding amount is paid or a suitable payment arrangement is agreed. If you were disconnected in error, we will reconnect you at no cost. If disconnection is carried out at the property, we will leave information on how to contact us to arrange reconnection.

Medically dependent consumers

If you or someone at your property depends on electricity for medical reasons, please tell us as soon as possible so we can record this and take it into account. Information on registering as a medically dependent consumer is available from the Electricity Authority.

Even where a medically dependent consumer is registered, we cannot guarantee an uninterrupted electricity supply (for example, in the event of a fault, severe weather or an emergency outside our control). We strongly encourage all medically dependent consumers to prepare an individual emergency response plan. Resources to help you do this are available from the Electricity Authority's website. We do not recommend a prepay arrangement for any property where we know a medically dependent consumer resides.

If you disagree with a decision we've made

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your account, please contact us in the first instance using the details below so that we can try to resolve the matter directly. We aim to acknowledge your complaint within ten business days and to resolve it as quickly as possible. We will keep you informed of our progress and let you know the outcome in writing. If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you may refer it, free of charge, to:

Other support agencies

Fees

You are responsible for paying all charges and fees relating to the electricity supplied to your unit from the date you start using electricity at the property. Your pricing plan's charges are included in the information we give you when you sign up and are available on request. We will tell you the amount and reason for a fee before we charge it, and, if there is anything you can do to avoid it, we will let you know.

The following fees may apply:

About this policy

This policy reflects WHG's obligations under part 11A of the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 and complies with the Consumer Care Obligations. It is not a legally binding document and does not form part of our terms and conditions. We are always looking for ways to do better, and we will use what we learn from our experiences to continually improve the support we offer you.

For more information about the Consumer Care Obligations, please visit the Electricity Authority's Consumer Care Obligations page.

Contact Us

For more information about our consumer care policy, our compliance with the Consumer Care Obligations, or if you have a question about your account or are having difficulty paying, please get in touch:

Email: whg@oakridge.co.nz