Horizon Energy - Whakatane at Night
Medically Dependent Consumers
In November 2009, the Electricity Commission (now the Electricity Authority) released a guideline (the MDC Guideline) on arrangements to assist medically dependent consumers (MDCs). The MDC Guideline sets out the Electricity Authority's expectations of electricity retailers in respect of MDCs. The MDC Guideline defines a MDC as "A domestic consumer who is dependent on mains electricity for critical medical support, such that loss of electricity may result in loss of life or serious harm. For the avoidance of doubt, medical dependence on electricity could be for use of medical or other electrical equipment needed to support the treatment regime (e.g. a microwave to heat fluids for renal dialysis or equipment such as that listed in Appendix B [of the MDC Guideline])".
As a responsible electricity distributor, we wish to make MDCs aware of the following points contained within the MDC Guideline and the Electricity Authority's website that are of relevance to MDCs who are supplied electricity by retailers that use the Horizon Energy distribution network:
- Electricity supply by retailers of electricity cannot be guaranteed and temporary electricity outages do occur from time to time. The MDC Guideline does not imply a guaranteed supply of electricity by retailers to MDCs.
- MDCs need to take responsibility for ensuring that they have an emergency response plan in place for their medical care when electricity is not available.
- Emergency response plans can range from ensuring that a stand-by battery is always fully charged, to relocating to a friend’s or family member’s premises with electricity or, in very serious circumstances, calling an ambulance to be taken to hospital.
Horizon Energy, similar to other suppliers of distribution network services in the electricity industry, experiences, from time to time, events beyond its control and cannot guarantee a continuous supply of electricity by retailers who use its distribution network to supply electricity to customers, including MDCs. These events can be caused by, among other things, regional supply (i.e., TRANSPOWER) issues, tree damage, vehicle accidents, storms and equipment failure. The unplanned outages caused by these events occur with little warning and cannot be predicted nor notified ahead of time, and the time to restore supply varies dependent upon the scale and complexity of repair work required. For planned outages, MDCs, along with other customers, should receive advance notification through their chosen retailer or via a mail drop prior to the outage.
In line with the MDC Guideline, Horizon Energy strongly recommends that MDCs develop an emergency response plan for when electricity is not available to be supplied to them. In addition, Horizon Energy recommends that MDCs disclose to their retailer any information relevant to any disconnection decision by that retailer.
Further information and the MDC Guideline are available via the Electricity Authority’s website which can be found here:
http://www.ea.govt.nz/consumer/mdvc/
