Electricity win – a real circuit breaker

A few weeks ago the Tenants' Union of NSW successfully represented 93 residents from Parklea residential land lease community in Tribunal applications regarding unfair electricity charges. Residents will now receive a refund totalling approximately $80,000 for incorrect charges in their embedded electricity network dating from November 2015. This important case will assist residents across NSW to challenge overcharging for their electricity.

The decision has been appealed by a resident and 14 others, who say their refunds should have been greater and the Tribunal erred in law.

Residents worked closely with the Tenants' Union and the residents committee in making their Tribunal applications, points of claim and written submissions. Voluminous data was entered on spreadsheets to demonstrate and calculate refunds due to home owners by the community operator. The decision has not yet been published.

The issue of electricity overcharging in land lease communities has been discussed a number of times in Outasite Lite and Outasite (the Tenants' Union's email newsletter and magazine for park residents). Subscribe here (please be sure to tick the box which says 'Outasite Lite'). We have just posted 5,000 copies of Outasite magazine across NSW. You can read it online here. This issue includes articles on:

• Cooperative communities
• Electricity usage charges
• Fairness about site repairs
• Di Evans – land lease community advocate
• Interference with sale
• Site fees
• Identifying the operator
• Assignment of site agreements
• Fair Trading and Service NSW
• Meet the Minister