LevelPay terms and conditions

Introduction

• Any terms and conditions set out in any offer to you (“Offer”) form part of Meridian’s LevelPay Terms and Conditions. The terms and conditions of the LevelPay Plan are additional to, and should be read in conjunction with, our Standard Terms and Conditions for the Supply of Electricity
• In the event of inconsistency between the LevelPay Terms and Conditions and our Standard Terms and Conditions, the Standard Terms and Conditions will prevail.

Eligibility

• In order to be eligible for LevelPay you must meet the following criteria:

  • You must be a residential customer and the premises you set up on LevelPay must be a residential property.
  • You must not have an overdue balance on your account.
  • You must have had three consecutive meter readings before we can estimate the LevelPay payment.
  • Your meter readings need to be at least 28 days apart, one of which can be your own meter read and two of which must be actual reads.

LevelPay payments

• LevelPay payments can only be paid by direct debit from your nominated bank account. Please refer to our Direct Debit Terms and Conditions which apply to your LevelPay payments. 
• You are not entitled to make credit card payments with LevelPay.
• We set your LevelPay payment based on your current electricity usage (assessed from at least three meter readings) and from other parameters within our billing system.
• You are liable for all electricity charges billed to your account irrespective of whether your LevelPay payment covers the amount billed.
• You can choose to make LevelPay payments weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
• Each month you will receive your normal electricity bill. You are responsible for reviewing your monthly bill and confirming that your LevelPay payments are covering your electricity charges.
• On the agreed payment date, we will deduct the agreed amount from your nominated bank account by direct debit.
• You need to ensure that you have sufficient funds in your nominated bank account to meet the LevelPay payments. If a payment is dishonoured you will need to make up the payment within 14 days of the due date or you will be removed from LevelPay and transferred to our standard monthly billing and payment cycle. You will be liable to pay any amounts owing.
• If your payment is dishonoured three consecutive times (even if you have made up the outstanding payment within 14 days of the due date) you will be removed from LevelPay and transferred to our standard monthly billing and payment cycle. You will be liable to pay any amounts owing.
• If you are on LevelPay and receive a network rebate, this can be refunded to you upon request, provided that you meet our criteria as set out in Meridian’s Credit Refund Policy.
• You cannot cancel or skip a payment, or make additional payments.

Review of LevelPay payments

• We will review your LevelPay payment once every six months to ascertain whether your LevelPay payments are adequately covering your electricity charges. This does not limit your obligation to check your monthly invoice and confirm that your payments are covering your electricity charges.
• We will also adjust your LevelPay payment to take into account any credit or debit balance on your account.
• You will be contacted if a change is required to your LevelPay payment following a review.
• If your LevelPay payment is adjusted, we will advise you at least 10 business days prior to the new amount being deducted from your nominated bank account.
• You are not entitled to decrease your LevelPay payment unless a review is carried out and we agree to the reduction.

Moving house

• If you move house, you can transfer your LevelPay arrangement to the new house, provided it is your primary residence. As your LevelPay payment amount will be based on your previous house you need to be aware that this could result in us under or overcharging you. If this is the case we recommend that you advise us as soon as possible.
• If you move house and want to continue on LevelPay you will need to advise us of this when you notify us that you are moving.

Cancellation of LevelPay

• If you no longer wish to be on LevelPay please contact us to request removal. You can cancel your LevelPay arrangement up to 2 business days before the next scheduled payment is due to be paid from your bank account. Otherwise, cancellation will be effective immediately after the next payment date. If you cancel your LevelPay arrangement and have a debit balance owing on your account, you must pay this by the due date set out in your most recent invoice.
• If you have been removed from LevelPay by us you will have a 3 month stand down period before you are eligible to go on LevelPay again.

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1. The initiator:

a) Will not initiate a direct debit on my/our account unless authorisation is received from me/us in accordance with the terms and conditions agreed between me/us and the initiator of each amount to be debited from my/our account.



b) Has agreed to send notice of the net amount of each direct debit and the due date of debiting after receiving authorisation from me/us under clause 1(a) but no later than the date the direct debit will be initiated. This notice must be provided either:

i. in writing; or

ii. by electronic mail where the Customer has provided prior written consent to the initiator

The notice will include the following message: “the amount $.......... was direct debited to your back account on (initiating date).”

c) May, upon the relationship which gave rise to this Authority being terminated, give notice to the Bank that no further Direct Debits are to be initiated under the Authority. Upon receipt of such notice the Bank may terminate this Authority as to future payments by notice in writing to me/us,

or

a) Has agreed to give written advance notice to the Acceptor of the net amount of each Direct Debit and the due date of the debiting at least 10 calendar days before (but not more than two calendar months) the date when the Direct Debit will be initiated. This advance notice must be provided either:

i. in writing; or

ii. by electronic mail where the Customer has provided prior written consent to the Initiator

The advance notice will include the following message:–

“Unless advice to the contrary is received from you by (date*), the amount of $........, will be direct debited to your Bank account on initiating date).*”

*This date will be at least two (2) days prior to the initiating date to allow for the amendment of Direct Debits.

b) May, upon the relationship which gave rise to this Authority being terminated, give notice to the Bank that no further Direct Debits are to be initiated under the Authority. Upon receipt of such notice the Bank may terminate this Authority as to future payments by notice in writing to me/us.

2. The customer may:

a) At any time, terminate this Authority as to future payments by giving written notice of termination to the Bank and to the Initiator.

b) Stop payment of any Direct Debit to be initiated under this Authority by the Initiator by giving written notice to the Bank prior to the Direct Debit being paid by the Bank.

c) Where a variation to the amount agreed between the initiator and the Customer from time to time to be direct debited has been made without notice being given in terms of 1 (a) above, request the Bank to reverse or alter any such Direct Debit initiated by the Initiator by debiting the amount of the reversal or alteration of the Direct Debit back to the Initiator through the Initiator’s Bank, PROVIDED such request is made not more than 120 days from the date when the Direct Debit was debited to my/our account.

3. The customer acknowledges that:

a) This authority will remain in full force and effect in respect of all Direct Debits passed to my/our account in good faith notwithstanding my/our death, bankruptcy or other revocation of this authority until actual notice of such event is received by the Bank.

b) In any event this authority is subject to any arrangement now or hereafter existing between me/us and the Bank in relation to my/our account.

c) Any dispute as to the correctness or validity of an amount debited to my/our account shall not be the concern of the Bank except in so far as the Direct Debit has not been paid in accordance with this authority. Any other disputes lies between me/us and the initiator.

d) Where the Bank has used reasonable care and skill in acting in accordance with this authority, the Bank accepts no responsibility or liability in respect of:

i. the accuracy of information about Direct Debits on Bank statements

ii. any variations between notices given by the Initiator and the amounts of Direct Debits

e) The Bank is not responsible for, or under any liability in respect of the Initiator’s failure to give written advance notice correctly nor for the non-receipt or late receipt of notice by me/us for any reason whatsoever. In any such situation the dispute lies between me/us and the Initiator.

4. The bank may:

a) In its absolute discretion conclusively determine the order of priority payment by it of any monies pursuant to this or any other authority, cheque or draft properly executed by me/us and given to or drawn on the Bank.

b) At any time terminate this authority as to future payments by notice in writing to me/us.

c) Charge its current fees for this service in force from time-to-time.