How do I dispute an AGL electricity bill?

If your AGL bill has suddenly spiked or looks wrong, start by gathering your recent bills, your meter readings or smart meter data, and any correspondence with AGL. Under the National Energy Retail Law and the National Energy Retail Rules, energy retailers must bill customers accurately, base bills on actual meter readings wherever possible, and review a bill when a customer disputes it. You have the right to request a meter test and a billing review, and AGL cannot disconnect you for an amount that is genuinely in dispute while the complaint is being handled.

Put your dispute in writing and ask AGL to explain exactly how the bill was calculated, the tariff applied, the reads used, and whether any reads were estimated rather than actual. Estimated reads are one of the most common causes of inflated bills, and retailers are required to adjust the account once an actual read is available. If you are in hardship, AGL is also obliged to offer a payment plan and tell you about its hardship program rather than moving straight to debt collection.

If AGL does not resolve the complaint, escalate to your state energy ombudsman, EWON in New South Wales, EWOV in Victoria, or EWOQ in Queensland. The ombudsman service is free, independent, and has the power to investigate billing disputes, order corrections, and require compensation where the retailer got it wrong. Retailers take ombudsman complaints seriously because each one costs them a case fee, so a well-documented complaint that signals you are ready to escalate often resolves the issue before the ombudsman is needed.