Not happy with Genesis Energy

Recently Genesis Energy stuffed up and cut people's power... through no fault of the customers and during one of the coldest blasts for 10 years.

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Power company Genesis failed to contact more than half its prepay customers flagged as "medically dependent" when a computer error cut power to hundreds of homes on the coldest weekend of the year.

Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee has criticised the state-owned company for the admission, warning Genesis managers to "think very, very carefully" about their behaviour in future.

Consumer advocates and local body politicians have also criticised Genesis as "reprehensible" for failing to look after sick and vulnerable customers.

Genesis says it urgently reconnected medically dependent customers who rang the company, but did not contact others because they may still have had power.

Power went out for hundreds of prepay customers, some with sick children, during freezing temperatures on Monday when a computer system error stopped them from topping up their accounts.

Genesis boss Albert Brantley said yesterday the breakdown was "hugely regrettable". More than 180 customers had been offered "goodwill credits" of between $20 and $50, and other customers were still to be processed.

Mr Brantley said 16 customers flagged as "medically dependent" had contacted the company and contractors were sent to reconnect their power.

But spokesman Richard Gordon later admitted another 17 prepay customers flagged for the same risk were not contacted. All medically dependent customers had been advised against being on the prepay plan, he said.

"We were not able to determine who had power and who had not. Therefore we responded quickly to those 16 customers who called us urgently needing power."

But Mr Brownlee said the company should have contacted everyone. "Sometimes a medically dependent person who's in dire straits isn't exactly going to be able to pick up the phone and call the power company."

Energy analyst Molly Melhuish said Genesis had a call centre "for a good reason". "One person could have made those calls within an hour or so."

Acting Porirua mayor Litea Ah Hoi called Genesis' behaviour reprehensible and said she was upset after visiting people who had been affected by the cuts.

Genesis also said it was reviewing its tapes after customer Tania Tai-Albert reported being told to "toughen up" by a company representative.

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I have to say I am a Genesis customer although we are on a plan so it did not affect us. However I am not particularly pleased at the response ($20 credit... pathetic) and it does make me look at whether we stay with Genesis. We have been with Genesis for 15 years. Now I am looking at changing. If they don't respond a bit better I think I will look very carefully at the options.