Alinta isn’t helping with my concession or hardship request, what now?
What Alinta Energy owes customers in financial hardship, including concessions and rebates, and how to challenge inadequate hardship support.
Regulator
State energy ombudsman (EWON in NSW, EWOV in VIC, EWOQ in QLD)
Key legislation
National Energy Retail Law and the National Energy Retail Rules
Dispute path
Letter first, deadline tracked. If they go quiet, escalation to State energy ombudsman (EWON in NSW, EWOV in VIC, EWOQ in QLD) is prepped and ready.
Hardship support and concessions are related but separate entitlements, and it is worth chasing both. A hardship program should mean a payment plan genuinely built around what you can afford, while concessions and government rebates are a separate benefit you may be eligible for based on your circumstances, sometimes both apply to the same account. If Alinta has not properly discussed either with you, you may be missing entitlements you are owed.
If you asked Alinta for hardship assistance and got a generic response, or a payment plan that ignored what you actually told them you could pay, ask for a proper reassessment referencing the hardship program specifically. Separately, ask Alinta to confirm every concession or rebate you may be eligible for and whether they have actually been applied to your account, missing concessions are common and are meant to be backdated once identified.
Put both requests in writing: a formal hardship assessment based on your real financial circumstances, and confirmation of every concession or rebate that should apply. If Alinta does not properly respond to either, escalate to your state energy ombudsman, EWON, EWOV or EWOQ, free of charge, which can investigate whether Alinta met its hardship and concession obligations.
Frequently asked questions
Are Alinta’s hardship program and concessions the same thing?
No, they are related but genuinely separate entitlements. A hardship program is about getting a payment plan that is actually built around what you can afford right now. Concessions and government rebates are a different benefit you may qualify for based on your personal circumstances, and sometimes both apply to the same account at once. It is worth chasing both rather than assuming one covers the other.
Can a missed Alinta concession be backdated?
Generally, yes. If you were eligible for a concession or rebate during a period when it wasn’t applied to your account, ask Alinta in writing to correct the account back to when the eligibility should have started, not just from the date you noticed. Missing concessions are a common gap, and backdating the correction is the normal remedy once it is identified.
My Alinta hardship plan does not match what I can actually pay, what now?
Ask for it to be reassessed, in writing, referencing the hardship program specifically rather than just asking for a generic payment extension. A hardship plan is supposed to be built around your real financial circumstances, not a standard instalment amount. If Alinta offers something you genuinely can’t meet, say so directly and ask for a revised plan based on what you’ve actually disclosed.
Does Alinta have to tell me what concessions I’m eligible for?
You are entitled to ask, and Alinta should confirm what applies to your account rather than leaving you to work it out yourself. Ask specifically for every concession or government rebate you may qualify for given your circumstances, and whether each one has actually been applied to your account historically, not just going forward.
What should I put in writing when raising a hardship or concession issue with Alinta?
State your actual financial circumstances clearly, make a specific request for a formal hardship assessment, and separately ask Alinta to confirm every concession and rebate that should apply to your account. Keeping the two requests distinct in writing makes it harder for a generic response to address only one of them and leave the other unresolved.
What if Alinta does not respond properly to my hardship or concession request?
Escalate to your state energy ombudsman, EWON, EWOV or EWOQ, free of charge. The ombudsman can investigate both the hardship assessment and the concession entitlement together, and can direct Alinta to correct the account and backdate anything that was missed, rather than you having to fight each issue separately.
What if Alinta Energy just ignores my letter?
Silence is not a dead end, it is a deadline breach. Alinta Energy is expected to respond to a formal complaint within 30 days. Build your letter with us and we track that deadline for you: a countdown check-in two weeks in, and if they miss the deadline, your escalation to your state energy ombudsman (EWON in NSW, EWOV in Victoria, EWOQ in Queensland, or your state equivalent) arrives pre-filled and ready to lodge. Escalating is free.
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