Consumer groups demand more compensation for loss of electricity supply Christopher Zinn of One Big Switch walks you through the Big Queensland Electricity Switch website. CONSUMER advocates are pushing for an increase in the compensation power companies pay to households and businesses for disrupting supply. Electricity industry watchdog the Queensland Competition Authority is reviewing the automatic fees for the inconvenience caused when distributors fail to meet guaranteed service levels. Should you be compensated for power cuts? The guaranteed service levels cover wrongful disconnections and circumstances, such as failing to connect or reconnect power when agreed, failing to meet appointment times, failing to give adequate notice of supply interruption or exceeding set periods of interruption. The total amount paid out by Energex and Ergon under the rules has soared from $138,000 in 2009-10 to $1.02 million last year. DIRTY TRICKS: Sneaky pricing catches thousands RUN DOWN: Power companies failing to reinvest The Queensland Consumer Association said it was proof the individual payments were not high enough to force companies to lift their game. "The association considers that a substantial increase in the level of guaranteed service level payments for all categories is required to increase the incentive for distributors to improve performance and to increase the compensation to customers for unsatisfactory services," it said in a submission. PLUG PULLED: Dodgy discounts axed BUSINESS BATTLERS: Surge in disconnections Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland agreed "stronger incentives" were needed to improve performance, but was worried the cost of increased payments would be recouped through higher ongoing charges to customers. Energex and Ergon support raising the fees in line with inflation, but Energex wants the rules changed to differentiate between problems caused by the distributor and those where the retailer is responsible. The Consumer Association supports the idea.