ELECTRICITY SUPPLY QUALITY OF CONSUMER SERVICE Specification

Transcription

1 DZS 397:2015 ICS Draft for Public Comments (Second Revision) Zambian Standard ELECTRICITY SUPPLY QUALITY OF CONSUMER SERVICE Specification ZAMBIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS

2 DATE OF PUBLICATION This Zambian Standard has been published under the authority of the Standards Council of the Zambia Bureau of Standards on.. ZAMBIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS The Zambia Bureau of Standards is the Statutory National Standards Body for Zambia established under an act of Parliament, the Standards Act, Cap 416 of 1994 of the Laws of Zambia for the preparation and promulgation of Zambian Standards. REVISION OF ZAMBIAN STANDARDS Zambian Standards are revised, when necessary, by the issue of either amendments or of revised editions. It is important that users of Zambian standards should ascertain that they are in possession of the latest amendments or editions. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS A Zambian standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users of Zambian standards are responsible for their correct application. TECHNICAL COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE This Zambian standard was prepared by the Technical Committee TC 5/7 Electricity Supply upon which the following organisations were represented: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Consumer Unit Trust Society Copperbelt Energy Corporation Energy Regulation Board Engineering Institution of Zambia Lunsemfwa Hydropower Company The University of Zambia, School of Engineering Zambia Bureau of Standards Zambia National Farmers Union ZESCO Limited ZAMBIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS, P.O. BOX 50259, ZA RIDGEWAY, ZAMBIA i

3 CONTENTS Page FOREWORD... iii INTRODUCTION... iv 1 SCOPE Applicability NORMATIVE REFERENCES DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS CONSUMER SERVICE REQUIREMENTS GENERAL PROCESSING OF REQUESTS FOR SUPPLY PROCESSING OF REQUESTS FOR SERVICE REVENUE MANAGEMENT PLANNED AND UNPLANNED NETWORK INTERRUPTIONS MANAGEMENT OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES PUBLIC EDUCATION SPECIAL SERVICES (OPTIONAL) MANAGEMENT OF DISCONNECTIONS AND RECONNECTIONS REPORTING GUIDELINES ANNEX A ii

4 FOREWORD The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) is the Statutory Organization established by an Act of Parliament. ZABS is responsible for the preparation of national standards through its various Technical committees composed of representation from government departments, the industry, academia, regulators, consumer associations and nongovernmental organizations. This National standard has been prepared in accordance with the procedures of the ZABS. All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication as standards are revised from time to time. No liability shall be attach to ZABS or its Director, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and members of its Technical Committees for any personal injury, property damage or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (Including legal fees) and expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon this ZABS publication or any other ZABS publication. DZS 397: 2015 was prepared by the Technical Committee TC 5/7 Electricity Supply The revision was undertaken to ensure that the standard continued to meet the aspirations of stakeholders in the Zambian electricity supply industry. This standard replaces ZS 397:2011. Reference has been made to the following publications in preparation of this standard: NRS 047-1: 2005 NRS 047-2: 2001 Electricity supply quality of service Part 1: Minimum standards Electricity supply Quality of service Part 2: Reporting guidelines COMPLIANCE WITH A ZAMBIAN STANDARD DOES NOT OF ITSELF CONFER IMMUNITY FROM LEGAL OBLIGATIONS iii

5 INTRODUCTION The need for a revised standard on quality of consumer service in the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) has been driven by the new developments that have taken place in the industry since the publication of the first edition of the standard. Such developments include: introduction of prepaid and other types of meters, entry of new players on the market and complaints received from consumers among others. In order to assess the quality of the consumer service provided, the Regulator will require licensees to provide as much information as is practical. However, the Licensees will incur costs which will ultimately be passed on to the consumer. In terms of the needs and principles of economic and affordable electricity supply in Zambia, it is essential that a balance be obtained between these costs and the parameters measured. This specification is restricted to the measuring and reporting of those parameters that have been mutually agreed upon by the ESI and the Regulator for the definition of consumer service standards. It is recognized that not all aspects are addressed in detail. iv

6 ZAMBIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS Zambian Standard ELECTRICITY SUPPLY QUALITY OF CONSUMER SERVICE 1 SCOPE ZS 397: 2015 This standard details minimum requirements for measuring the quality of service provided by electricity undertakings in Zambia. It is intended to give the Regulator a common basis for evaluating quality of consumer service when: a) Granting distribution and supply licences, b) Monitoring the performance of licensees on an ongoing basis, and dealing with consumer complaints. NOTE This quality of consumer service standard does not cover consumers who have bulk supply agreements with licensees because they are covered by the terms of the agreements 1.2 Applicability The following principles apply in the application of this standard: a) Testing or assessing by the Regulator for compliance or non-compliance with specified quality of consumer service standard in the granting or retention of licences. The Regulator will not require licensees to demonstrate compliance for each consumer. The Regulator may prescribe statistical sampling or frequency of reporting on licensee s service to the consumer to verify continued compliance. b) It is the responsibility of licensees to manage the quality of consumer service provided to their consumers. A supply agreement that makes consumers aware of their rights and obligations ought to form part of the Licensees responsibility. c) The minimum requirements specified apply only at the point of supply to consumers. d) A licensee may contract with specific consumers, or consumer groups, to provide different levels of service under agreed terms. e) It is not intended that the Regulator receive all individual complaints directly. Licensees and their consumers are expected to resolve problems between themselves in the first instance. If a problem cannot be resolved, the Regulator can then be involved. f) If a complaint is received by the Regulator, a licensee will be given a reasonable period to demonstrate that the service meets the requirements. This period will be determined in conjunction with the complainant and the licensee. g) The consumer service standards specified may not apply in cases where licensees are experiencing unavoidable circumstances, such as: 1) war, uprising, theft, sabotage, attack, malicious damage, vandalism, riot, 5

7 2) damage caused by accidental and unavoidable occurrences attributable to a third party, 3) direct material damage caused primarily by the unusual intensity of a natural event, where the usual precautions to prevent such damage could not prevent it or could not be taken, 4) extreme atmospheric phenomena which could not be prevented because of their cause or their extent, and to which electrical networks, especially overhead networks, are particularly vulnerable (normal lightning activity is excluded), 5) industrial action that prevents normal operation of the network 6) vehicular accidents, and 7) where the licensee provides a temporary supply to keep consumers supplied during maintenance and construction work, or to minimize the extent and duration of a total loss of supply. The Licensee should state the estimated duration of the temporary supply, which should be by mutual agreement between the customer and the Licensee. The normal supply should be reinstated as soon as possible. Note: Special cases for exception from meeting the standard could be considered. However, all occurrences should be reported to the Regulator with appropriate comments of the cause of the unavoidable circumstance. h) Consumers who require an investigation into the level of service provided might be required to pay a fee in advance to cover the cost of the investigation. Such fee will be refunded should the complaint be justified. The amount to be recovered from a consumer for a Quality of Consumer Service (QCS) investigation may be limited to a fee set by the Regulator to approximate the average cost of the required test(s), and may depend on the size/category of consumers. 2 NORMATIVE REFERENCES The following standards contain provisions which, through reference in the text, constitute provisions of this standard. At the time of publication, the editions indicated were valid. All standards are subject to revision, and parties to agreements based on this standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility of applying the most recent editions of the standards listed below. Information on currently valid national and international standards can be obtained from the Zambia Bureau of Standards: ZS IEC : ZS ISO 9001: ZS ISO 9004: Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electricity Quality management systems: Requirements Quality management systems: Guidelines for performance improvement ZS 387-1: Electricity supply Power quality and reliability Code of Practice Part 1: Overview of Implementation of Standards and Procedures 6

8 3 DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS 3.1 Definitions For the purpose of this standard, the definitions given in ZS 387-1, and these given here, shall apply. NOTE Where definitions have been extracted from other standards, the relevant standard/sub-clause number is given in square brackets after the definition Consumer: A person or legal entity that has entered into an electricity supply agreement with a licensee Interruption: A phenomenon that occurs when one or more phases of a supply to a consumer/group of consumers are disconnected for a period greater than 3seconds. [ZS 387] Forced interruption: An interruption that occurs when a component is taken out of service immediately, either automatically or as soon as switching operations can be performed, as a direct result of emergency conditions, or an interruption that is caused by improper operation of equipment or human error Planned interruption: An interruption that occurs when a component is deliberately taken out of service (by the utility or its agent) at a selected time, usually for the purposes of construction, preventive maintenance, or repair Large consumer: Any large power user with a declared maximum demand exceeding 300 kva Licensee: An electricity undertaking licensed by the Regulator for the distribution and supply of electricity Regulator: shall mean the Energy Regulation Board or its successor Residential (dwellings): Structures utilised for domestic purposes Rural area (dwellings): Clustered or scattered dwellings, usually of low density, not served by well established infrastructure (roads, telecommunications, etc). The power is usually supplied radially by an overhead line emanating from one distribution station Urban area (dwellings): formally or informally built structures, usually of high density, served by wellestablished infrastructure (roads, telecommunications, etc). The power supply network is usually supplied from more than one distribution station. 3.2 Abbreviations ESI: ERB: IEC: QCS: Electricity Supply Industry. Energy Regulation Board. International Electro-technical Commission Quality of Consumer Service SANS: South African National Standard ZABS: Zambia Bureau of Standards 7

9 4 CONSUMER SERVICE REQUIREMENTS 4.1 GENERAL While some key parameters of quality of consumer service are measurable, overall quality of consumer service includes many aspects that cannot be readily measured and is dependent on appropriate quality management systems. The guidelines given in ZS ISO 9004 shall be used by licensees in the management of the services that they provide to their consumers. 4.2 PROCESSING OF REQUESTS FOR SUPPLY The quality of consumer service in dealing with the processing of requests for supply will be influenced by the management of the following: Applications, feasibility studies, quotations/estimates, acceptance and payment, design, construction (including certificate of compliance), commissioning and decommissioning, supply contract between licensee and consumer. The licensee shall enter into a supply agreement with individual consumers. The provisions of the Supply agreement shall require approval of the Regulator. NOTE An element of segmentation might be required with regard to applications, for example, applications submitted by township developers will require different processing from applications submitted by individual consumers, and individual applications in an electrified area will require different processing from individual applications submitted in a nonelectrified/non-reticulated area (e.g. rural) Table 1 Measures of Service Quality for Processing of Requests for Supply Description Measure of service quality Quoting new consumers (feasibility studies, quotations and estimates) Time taken to provide consumer with a quotation for the cost of providing a supply connection. Providing new supply Time taken to make a supply available (upon acceptance of quote, receipt of outstanding moneys and once other consumer obligations are met) 4.3 PROCESSING OF REQUESTS FOR SERVICE Quotations for new supplies should be provided within five working days in the case of routine applications in areas where there is already infrastructure. Where network extensions or upgrading are required, the quotation should be provided within one month or such period as agreed upon by the applicant and the licensee. In response to the consumer, the expected period to the provision of service is given in Table 2. Table 2 Expected Period to the Provision of Service Description Performance measure Units Period Urban Rural Overhead service connection Provide works order and Working days 5 20 install 30m service cable and install energy meter. 3-phase underground connection Provide works order, lay Working days m cable and install meter Connection to supply 8

10 a) 1-span (50m) single phase plus overhead service Provide works order and construct one span of a single phase service plus meter installation Working days b) 1-span (50m) three phase plus overhead service c) 1-span (50m) 3-phase plus underground service d) 1-span (100m) 3-phase plus 11kV plus pole mounted transformer (PMT) plus 1-span MV (30m) line and overhead service connection Provide works order and construct one span of overhead service plus meter installation Provide works order and lay underground service Provide works order and construct 1-span 11kV line, install PMT, 1 span MV line and service connection Working days Working days Working days e) 1-span (100m) 3-phase 11kV plus PMT, plus 1-span MV and underground service f) 1-span (100m) 3-phase 11kV plus ground mounted transformer (GMT), plus 1- span MV plus underground service Provide works order and construct 1-span 11kV line, install PMT, 1 span MV line and service connection Provide works order and construct 1-span 11kV line, install GMT, construct 1 span MV line and underground service line Working days Working days In situations where extension of the system will be required at the distribution voltage level or the service required is abnormal or requires the installation of major equipment, e.g. sub-stations, location of specific transformers or complex metering arrangements, undertakings will be required to advise the consumer, in writing, of the specific date for provision of the works estimate and supply conditions and to make a commitment as to the date of completion of construction after the acceptance in writing by the consumer. NOTE: A standard clause and formula for compensatory payments, should the undertaking fail to meet the commitments, must be included in the agreements between the undertaking and the consumer. The general principles, which constitute these formulae, are to be approved by the regulator. Where the consumer has made capital contribution, the consumer should be able to recover his full capital contribution through an agreed mode over an agreed period of time. The method of payment could include reduced tariffs, cash reimbursement, etc. 4.4 REVENUE MANAGEMENT Credit meters General The quality of consumer service for dealing with credit meter for revenue management will be influenced by the management of the following: 9

11 Table 3 Measures of Service Quality in Credit Meter Bills and Settlement Area of service activity Measure of service quality ZS 397: 2015 Normal meter reading Special meter reading and billing requests Disconnection and reconnection for non-payment Maximum waiting time in payment queue Billing punctuality Adherence to the reading cycle Time taken to do a special meter reading or provide a special bill Time taken to restore a disconnected supply after receipt of outstanding moneys and reconnection fee Time from joining queue Time taken to deliver bill after meter reading Information to be provided to credit meter consumers The following information shall be provided to credit meter consumers: a) the frequency and schedule of meter readings, b) the method used to estimate electricity consumption during periods when no meter readings are taken (the meter is installed), c) the format of the electricity account, d) methods of payment of the account and the period allowed for payment before penalties are applied (see section ), e) the location of revenue collection points and hours of business (see section ), f) penalties for late payment, non-payment and the disconnection/reconnection process g) how a consumer should initiate an account query (see section ), h) the process that the licensee will follow when access to a consumer s premises is not possible, i) the process for dealing with special meter readings and check meter readings, j) the process for dealing with meter accuracy queries and the fees charged for accuracy audits, k) the penalties applied in the case of tampering, bypassing of meters, or any method used to illegally procure electrical energy as stipulated in the Electricity Act Cap 433 of Frequency of meter reading All credit meters should be read at least once every three months. In cases where this is not achieved due to justifiable reasons (for example, where the consumer s premises are locked), the meter shall be read at least once every 12 months. The Utility shall schedule meter readings at regular intervals within the month. Meter readings shall be taken within three (3) days of the scheduled dates. NOTES 1 Additional readings might be done when premises are vacated and new consumers are registered. 2 Three consecutive monthly readings should be taken in the case of a new consumer or newly installed meters. 3 A record of the meter reading must be maintained at the consumer s premises. 10

12 Estimated energy consumption ZS 397: 2015 This will be done as a last resort and every effort should be made to read the meter but where it is necessary to estimate electricity consumption for a particular period the method of estimation should be based on historical data (see also section (b)). The underlying principle should be that the consumer is billed on a monthly basis Format of the consumer statement The following information should be provided on the billing statement, clearly separated from any other billing information: a) the date of previous meter reading (or estimate) and the corresponding previous meter reading (or estimate), b) the date of the current meter reading (or estimate) with the corresponding current meter reading (or estimate), c) the applicable tariff class and rate, d) the number of units consumed (or estimated) during the period covered by the billing statement e) the cost of the electricity consumed during the period covered by the billing statement, f) the date and the amount of the previous payment, g) the outstanding balance, h) any other amounts charged and a description of what the charges are for, i) the total amount payable, j) the latest date by which the billing statement is to be paid without incurring penalties, k) acceptable methods of payment, l) the payment venues, hours of business, telephone and fax numbers, m) the billing statement query procedure including the applicable telephone numbers, n) telephone numbers of fault reporting centres, o) consumers security deposit information must be given on request by the consumer Revenue collection points The licensee shall ensure that wherever practical, facilities are provided within or close to residential, commercial, and industrial areas to permit consumers reasonable access for payment of billing statements and corresponding queries Actions to be taken by the Licensee for non-payment The licensee shall allow a reasonable period before actions are applied for non-payment. When dealing with non-payment: 11

13 a) the due date shall be 14 days from the date of billing; for rural networks the due date shall be 30 days from the date of billing b) no disconnection should be effected until at least 7 days after the due date for payment stipulated on the billing statement; c) further, a disconnection notice should, in addition, be served on the consumer 7 days before actual disconnection; d) commercial and industrial consumers should further be given at least 24 hours notice of an impending disconnection; e) disconnections shall only be carried out Mondays through to Fridays between 08:00hrs and 15:00hrs; f) Disconnections should not be carried out over weekends and public holidays, and g) reconnections should be effected as promptly as possible and no later than 24 hours, after the bill has been settled satisfactorily and the reconnection fee paid Recommended Steps to be taken by the Customer a) The customer shall enter into a contract of supply (conditions of supply) with the service provider as approved by the Regulator. b) In an event of a complaint, the customer shall be guided by the Regulator s complaint procedure (see Annexes A1, A2 and A3) Billing statement queries Queries shall be dealt with promptly. a) If an investigation is required before a query that was initiated in person at a consumer service/revenue collection point can be resolved, the licensee should respond within three working days. b) Responses to written queries should be prepared and dispatched within five working days. For rural networks, the period shall be ten working days Locked premises Where the licensee is unable to gain access to premises to read the meter, the licensee shall make an estimate based on previous historical data and shall produce a bill accordingly while making every effort to contact the consumer. In the case of a new installation, estimates shall be based on declared capacity Meter accuracy queries The licensee shall periodically and on request, provide meter accuracy checking as a service to consumers. Information on how to obtain the service and any associated costs shall be readily available (see section (i)). Any fee charged for checking the accuracy of a meter shall be refunded if the meter accuracy should prove to fall outside the declared limits in the supply agreement. A meter accuracy check should be performed within fifteen working days of receipt of the prescribed fee. Such tests shall be carried out by accredited laboratories. Appropriate computation shall be done based on the reassessed consumption units. 12

14 The consumer shall have the option of having the meter tested by a recognised independent laboratory Pre-payment meters Information to be provided to pre-payment consumers The licensee shall make known to every pre-payment meter consumer the following information by means of a brochure and any other appropriate medium issued at the time of installation of the service connection: a) the type of electricity token to be used and how to purchase and use it; b) the applicable tariff classes and rates (which shall also be displayed at the vending stations); c) the location of points of sale of electricity tokens and the hours of business; d) the contact telephone numbers and addresses of the licensee s service centres, where service queries and queries concerning the meter can be handled; e) the process for dealing with meter accuracy queries and the fees charged for accuracy audits; f) the process that the licensee will follow when access to a consumer s premises is not possible; g) the process for penalties that would be applied for tampering with, or bypassing a pre-payment meter; h) the process for disconnecting the service if not in use-which should include non-utilisation period; i) where applicable, the process for the recovery of any electricity account arrears; and j) where a consumer is on conventional metering and owes the utility, but is unable to pay the outstanding amounts immediately and converts to a prepayment metering, an arrangement shall be made to recover the outstanding debt. Note: Changes in the tariff shall be notified in an appropriate way as and when required Provision of vending stations (Point of Sale Terminal) A vending station should ideally be provided within a 5km radius of any consumer. The licensee should provide at least one vending station for every consumers. Where several vending stations at one location can be justified, these could be manned according to consumers purchasing patterns, with the maximum number manned at times of peak demand. Where applicable the Licensee may provide flexible arrangements to satisfy the local consumer`s needs Hours of business of vending stations Vending stations should sell tokens during normal shopping hours on weekdays, and from 08:00 to 12:00 over weekends and on public holidays as a minimum. Certain vending stations may close over weekends and on public holidays, provided that there are open vending stations nearby. The Licensee may also provide alternative electronic vending channels to compliment the physical points of sale. 13

15 Pre-payment meter accuracy audits ZS 397: 2015 Similar meter accuracy checking service provided for credit meter consumers shall be available to prepayment meter consumers (see section ). The licensee shall provide means to read, and transfer or refund, as appropriate, the amount of unexpended credit due to a consumer when a pre-payment meter is replaced or removed Frequency of pre-payment meter inspection The consumer shall allow the licensee to inspect the pre-payment meter. However, where reasonable but unsuccessful attempts have been made to gain access to the pre-payment meter, the licensee shall disconnect the supply after having given written warning to the consumer. Wherever possible the same conditions as for the credit consumers shall apply Disconnecting the supply The licensee may disconnect the supply from the premises of the consumer while making every effort to resolve differences with the landlord for a period of three months and may remove their equipment from the premises as a last resort. Records of engagement with the customers shall be kept by the licensee Reconnecting the Supply In cases where the customer settles the account, the date on which this takes place should be recorded, as should the date of reconnection. Reconnections shall be effected as promptly as possible as and no later than the first working day after the account has been settled satisfactorily and the reconnection fee has been paid. Supply should be reconnected within 24 working hours of receiving a request and the payment of the reconnection fee (except in the case of physical disconnections or service removals after tampering has taken place). 4.5 PLANNED AND UNPLANNED NETWORK INTERRUPTIONS Service activities for network interruptions The management of the following service activities influences the quality of service in dealing with network interruptions: a) Availability and location of fault reporting centres; b) Hours during which interruptions may be reported; c) Fault reporting procedures; d) Response time to queries; e) Time to restore supply; f) Number and duration of interruptions; and g) Notification of planned interruptions Restoration of supply after forced interruptions Consumer supplies that have failed should be restored within 24 hours for urban and 48 hours for rural. 14

16 NOTE: The above represents the minimum target and should be improved upon whenever circumstances permit. NOTE: The number of forced interruptions is considered a Power Quality and Reliability of electricity issue. [ZS 387] Number and duration of planned and forced interruptions The licensee shall endeavour to keep supply interruptions to an absolute minimum and, in the case of planned interruptions, shall ensure that consumers are given adequate notice. Recommended practices with regard to single feeder supply networks are given in Table 4. Consumers who require improved continuity of supply (e.g. large consumers) could negotiate additional feeders. This would be the subject of a separate agreement. Where a consumer or a group of consumers has suffered a series of interruptions within a short period, the licensee shall endeavour to prevent coincident planned interruptions from affecting the same consumer(s) for at least two months, with the understanding that urgent remedial work might require a planned interruption to rectify the cause of such a series of interruptions. The requirements as set out in table 4 should be met with regard to at least 95 % of consumers. Table 4 Number and Duration of Planned and Forced Interruptions per year for Consumers without Multi-Feeder Contracts Category of network Planned interruptions Forced interruptions (see note 1) Overhead distribution Underground distribution Overhead distribution Underground distribution Number Total duration h Number Total duration h Number Total duration h Number Total duration h Residential per 6 per established Residential developing 2 years 2 years Commercial/ small to medium industrial Rural overhead ( 33 kv) per 2 years (2 per year) per 2 years N/A N/A N/A N/A NOTES 1 For the purposes of this specification, the categories listed in column 1 are categories of network, not of consumer (for example, a consumer might operate a commercial enterprise in an area designed to serve residential consumers). 2 The numbers and durations for overhead distribution assume bare conductors. These figures will also apply when aerial bundled conductors (ABC) are being assessed, but in general, better performance could be expected from ABC systems. 3 Table 4 to be updated each time the Quality of Supply standard ZS is updated. Refer to table C.1 in ZS Notice of planned interruptions At least 48 hours advance notification should be given of any planned interruption. Such notification should state the date, the start and the end times of the interruption, and detailing out any precautions consumers should take during the interruption period. 15

17 4.5.5 Press/media releases ZS 397: 2015 The licensee should make use of the appropriate media, (e.g., publication, television, radio, notices, Public Address Systems, electronic media etc) to inform its consumers of future major interruptions. The following information should be supplied: a) the date and time that the interruption(s) will occur or is/are planned to occur; b) the area(s) that will be affected; c) the nature of the problem, or the reason for the planned interruption; d) the action that will be taken to restore supply/minimize disruption; e) the time at which the supply is anticipated to be restored; and f) safety precautions to be taken by consumers during the interruption period Telephone answering response times at emergency and fault-reporting service centres A 24-h service shall be provided for the reporting by telephone of faults and emergencies. An acceptably prompt service shall be provided. Eighty-five per cent of incoming calls should be responded to within less than 15 seconds. The average response time should be shorter than 10 seconds. The lost call rate should be less than 2 %. NOTE The equipment to measure these parameters might not be generally available. The same or similar results should be achieved with regard to responding to complaints and general queries from consumers Response time to emergency calls A service crew or representative of an undertaking is required to be available on call at all times to respond to emergency cases promptly Priority List In responding to faults, general queries and emergency calls, the licensee shall adhere to the following priority list: Priority 1: Priority 2: Priority 3: Priority 4: Priority 5: Priority 6: Faults at hospitals, clinics and emergency operating rooms, faults at dwellings where lifesupport machines are used, strategic or sensitive installations; Area faults (i.e. more than one customer affected) where most of the customers are industrial customers; Faults that affect large industrial customers (more than 10 MVA consumption); Area faults where most of the customers are residential customers; Faults that affect individual industrial customers; and Faults that affect rural customers. 4.6 MANAGEMENT OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES In dealing with consumer complaints and enquiries, the quality of consumer service will be influenced by the management of the following: a) information and advice; b) Power Quality and Reliability complaints; 16

18 c) alteration requests; ZS 397: 2015 d) compensation/insurance claims (for complaints procedures, refer to annexes A1,A2 and A3); e) hazard and safety reports; f) general public complaints (e.g. staff behaviour, damage to private/public property); g) meter queries; and h) payment queries. Customer complaint procedure, complaints and compensation claim forms are detailed in annexure A - A1, A2 and A3. 90% of general complaints should be resolved at first contact and without further referral. Tables 5 and 6 below provide the areas of service to be taken into consideration when assessing the quality of consumer complaints and enquiries management. Table 5 Areas of Service: Consumer Complaints Area of service Complaints on quality and reliability of electricity Queries on meter disputes Queries on payment and charges Response to formal consumer complaints Telephone response times Measure of service quality Time to respond formally Time to respond formally Time to respond formally Time to respond formally Time to respond to consumer call Table 6 Areas of Service: Consumer Complaints Area of service Measure of service quality Resolve (time to respond) Complaints on quality and reliability of electricity Within 14 days 30 Working Days Queries on meter disputes Within 14 days 30 Working Days Queries on payment and Within 14 days 30 Working Days charges Response to formal consumer Within 14 days 30 Working Days complaints Telephone response times Within less than 15 seconds Dependant on nature of complaint Table 7 Timeframes for Utility Resolution TYPE OF COMPLAINT TIMEFRAMES FOR UTILITY RESOLUTION ELECTRICITY COMPLAINTS Connection to Supply 5 30 Working Days, depending on nature of works Unplanned Interruptions Up to 48 Hours Billing 10 Working Days 17

19 Faulty Meters Disconnection Wrong Tariffs Compensation Claims Other Complaints 15 Working Days Within 24 Hours after payment of outstanding bill 30 Working Days 60 Working Days Up to 30 Working Days 4.7 PUBLIC EDUCATION The licensee shall provide reasonable education to ensure a). b). c). d). e). f). g). h). i). j). k). the safe use of electricity, the economic use of electricity, consumer service rights, that consumers are made aware of tariff classification and rates. the dangers of illegal connections and tampering; the dangers of incompetent or unqualified persons who conduct illegal and unsafe connections; reconnections, modifications, repairs, etc.; the use of unauthorized and unsafe devices; protection against overvoltages; dangers associated with lifting irrigation piping by farm labourers; and dangers associated with driving earth-moving vehicles into power lines. Recommended standards for consumer education services are; - 90% of information requests should be handled without referral. - 90% of telephonic requests for information should be dealt with within five minutes. - 90% of written requests for information should be responded to within five working days for urban networks and ten working days for rural networks. Table 8 gives the areas of service to be taken into consideration when assessing the quality of consumer education management. Table 8 Areas of service: consumer education Area of service Measure of service quality Energy sales (kwh) Growth in customer base Efficient use Observed energy savings by specific categories of customers Advisory service response times Time taken to respond to a consumer request/ 18

20 Availability of publications/literature Safety Annual accident/ incident records and damage to property 4.8 SPECIAL SERVICES (OPTIONAL) The management of the following factors influences the quality of service in dealing with special services: a) Types of special services provided; and b) Response times in providing such special services The licensee is not expected to measure or report on special services Special services include; a) The delivery, checking and determination of electricity consumption of domestic appliances, b) Secure supply to community service centres, c) Special arrangements to restore power after an interruption to customers who have life-support equipment such as kidney dialysis machines, d) The provision of standby plants, and e) The classification of certain customers as key customers. Where required, standards for the quality of special services should be specified by the licensee in an agreement with the customer 19

21 5 MANAGEMENT OF DISCONNECTIONS AND RECONNECTIONS Disconnections and reconnections are part of a utility s normal ongoing business. The flow chart in figure 1 below gives guidance on these processes Obtain data regarding consumers who have not paid Identify and verify defaulters information Yes Check if any special arrangements were made regarding late payments No Do not disconnect Issue final demand notice Yes Response to notice (Payment) No Instruct reconnection Disconnect supply Yes Response to disconnect action (Payment) No Inspect that disconnect action is still in place. Proceed with further revenue protection measures Figure 1 - Flow chart for the management of disconnections and reconnections 20

22 6 REPORTING GUIDELINES Reporting formats for the quality of consumer service shall be agreed between the regulator and the Licensee. These formats shall be used by the Licensee to report to the regulator and a section for comments shall be included to enable the utility to provide any additional relevant information. The Licensee may also use this section to indicate reasons for not meeting the minimum standards and also provide details as to when the Licensee will meet the minimum standards. Licensees shall report all required parameters to the regulator and shall ensure that their Quality of Consumer service report to the regulator is freely available to any consumer or prospective consumer upon request. 21

23 A1. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE ANNEX A (Informative) COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE A1.1 General information on complaints procedure All service providers shall ensure that the quality of service is acceptable at all times. Consumers, on the other hand, shall ensure that they meet their obligations to ensure sustainable access to quality of electricity supply services. In order to effectively resolve any complaints that may arise, service providers shall have in place robust internal dispute resolution mechanisms designed to assure speedy resolution of complaints in line with the quality of consumer service standard and licence conditions. Complaints shall be dealt with timely and conclusively by all service providers. Therefore, the regulator will only intervene when service providers and their customers fail to reach an amicable settlement within reasonable time. All complaints must first be channeled to the relevant service provider to enable them address the complaint within reasonable time. A complaint should only be referred to the regulator when a service provider has: Neglected to resolve complaint; Failed to resolve it within reasonable time; or Not satisfactorily attended to the complainant. Therefore, a complaint to the regulator should be seen primarily as an appeal. A1.2 Lodging a Complaint to the regulator The regulator shall endeavour to receive and investigate complaints in an efficient manner from the filing of a complaint to its final conclusion. Complaints may be lodged in writing or verbally. A1.2.1 Written Complaints A complaint to the regulator may be lodged by way of a letter, or fax. Written complaints shall be addressed to the regulator either through Head Office or Regional offices. Complaints written by third parties on behalf of complainants shall be acceptable. A1.2.1 Verbal Complaints Complainants may also lodge complaints verbally by way of phoning in or visiting the regulator in person. All verbally lodged complaints shall be taken down in writing by an officer of the regulator designated to receive complaints. A prescribed form shall be used to take down the complaint in writing and a reference number assigned to the complaint. The complainant will then endorse the Complaints Form detailing his/her complaint or request for amendments to be made. A1.3 Type of Information Required by the regulator In order to enable the regulator effectively handle complaints, the following information shall be particularly critical: 22

24 All the contact details including the full name, physical address, account number (where applicable) and phone numbers of the complainant; The service provider and/or person against whom the complaint is made; Particulars of the nature of the complaint; Copies of documents in support of the complaint e.g. receipts and bills; Details of prior contact with relevant utility e.g. copy of letter or reference number from service provider; The nature of injustice or harm that the complainant has suffered as a result of the action, inaction or omission of the person or service provider against whom the complaint is made; The nature of relief sought by the complainant; and Any other information relevant to the complaint. Where a person lodging a complaint is acting on behalf of another person, company or organisation, the capacity in which that person is acting and/or the reasons for doing so must be clearly stated. 23

25 A2. COMPLAINT FORM ANNEX A (Informative) REF. NO: (Sample Complaint form to be used for submitting complaints to the regulator) CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FORM Personal Details First Name(s) : Address :. Telephone Business : Mobile No: Business Name : Contact Person : Physical Address : Postal Address :.. District :.. Province: Complaint Details Company Complained Against:. Complaint Title:.. Complaint Details:.... Billing Account No: Attach any additional Pages 24

26 ANNEX A (Informative) A3. MECHANISM FOR COMPENSATION CLAIMS 1. Complete a form (Sample form is in annex A3 and the forms shall be available at the service providers offices) 2. Institute an investigation - Investigation and site visit to establish the extent of the damage and establish the cause ( establish the case of negligence) (The Engineer in charge takes ownership of the report of the investigation) 3. Submission of report on the investigation findings to service provider customer service directorate 4. Service provider (Legal department) responds to the customer 5. In case the customer appeals against the investigation, then an independent team is constituted to conduct an investigation. 6. A decision is made whether compensation can be granted. 7. In an event that the customer is still not satisfied, the customer is free to appeal to the regulator and the complaints procedure in annex A - A1 shall be followed. 25

27 ANNEX A (Informative) A4. COMPENSATION CLAIM FORM COMPENSATION CLAIM FORM (TO BE AVAILED BY SERVICE PROVIDER) Date :. Name of Customer:. Account No:... Premises :.. Nature of Complaint : Signature of Customer:.. Signature of Customer Services Officer: Complaints Technical Questionnaire Customer s Particulars Date Recorded.. Name :. Location :... Date Incident Happened :.. Account Number : Postal Address :. Tel :. 1 Electrical Item(S) That Were Damaged... 26

28 2 Date Incident was Reported to Zesco :. The Brief Cause of the Incident as per Customer s Letter.. 3 Any Strange Observation During the Incident.. 4 Any Similar Incident In The Same Area That Affected The Customer Previously.. 5 Item(S) That Got Affected The Cause (Briefly) And Dates 6 Was There Any Similar Complaint From The Neighbours? If Yes,indicate the Customer(S).. 7 Was There Any Extra Protection Apart From The Breaker For Electrical Item(S)? Specify The Brief History of The Electrical Item(S) That got Damaged (I.E.Specify The Age And Any Defect For The Item(S).. 27

29 9 Any Repair Work On The Item And The Total Cost Item Total Cost Invoice No Signed : Customer s Name :... 28