COVID-19 UPDATE

Update: 2 April, 2020

• For small businesses that are mothballed, electricity and gas network charges will not be applied from the start of April to the end of June 2020, if consumption is less than a quarter what it was in 2019. Details of how discounts will be applied and how eligible customers will be identified remain to be confirmed. 
• Most energy providers have announced that they have suspended disconnections due to debt and revoking late fees. Most utilities/essential service providers offer some form of Financial Hardship Support that can involve deferred billing, partial payment plans and other options. Businesses facing cashflow problems are advised to contact their supplier to discuss alternative payment options.
• Some energy networks are carrying out increased maintenance work over the next two weeks to prepare for possible restrictions on staff in future. These 'planned outages' are necessary for energy systems to work reliably and prevent the need for unplanned emergency works if something fails. In NSW, planned works can be found on your distribution network's website 

Ausgrid - Eastern Sydney, Central Coast and Hunter;
Essential Energy - Western Sydney and Illawarra;
Endeavour Energy - Regional and rural NSW

• The Business Energy Advice Program offers independent energy advice tailored to your business to help reduce energy costs. 

Update: 26 March, 2020

• Telecoms networks are under strain from increases in demand, especially from video conferencing. Daytime demand for NBN has not reached levels normally seen during the pre-Covid evening peak - however evening peak demand is up 25% on the pre-Covid period. 
• Netflix and other streaming video providers have now been asked to scale back their highest-bandwidth offerings for the duration of this situation. This should reduce load on the system and allow for other uses. 
• NBN have allocated extra bandwidth for users on Sky Muster satellite link systems. They have also changed the metering for these users so that only video streaming and VPN data is subject to metered charges.
• As well as broadband services, conventional phone call service has also been under pressure due to the volumes of calls being placed. Junction points between Telstra and Optus networks have been identified as the main bottlenecks causing call dropouts.  One possible explanation is that the unprecedented call volumes to the government helplines are a particularly acute cause of congestion. Telstra and Optus are doing what they can to strengthen these junction points over the next week.
• Telstra have announced they are taking on an extra 1000 staff nationwide to help with billing and customer service issues as well as these points above.

Update 18 March, 2020

• NBN Co is offering NBN retailers access to additional capacity for at least three months to help them support Australian residential and business customers. The additional capacity will apply to all fixed line, fixed wireless and satellite nbn technologies. NBN Co will also limit non-essential maintenance to minimise scheduled, planned outages in the weeks ahead to maintain network availability as much as possible.
• Telstra is giving consumer and small business home broadband customers (ADSL, NBN and Cable) unlimited data at no additional charge on their plan from Thursday 19 March until 30 April 2020. Telstra is also giving consumer and small business mobile customers more data. Post-paid customers (both handheld and mobile broadband) can receive an extra 25GB of data on their plan to use in Australia within 30 days.
• Optus Mobile is giving its postpaid smartphone users access to an extra 20GB of data during April, and 10GB for prepaid users.
• Airlines are offering different rebate options for passengers unable or unwilling to fly. Most require contacting the airline a set number of days before the intended flight date to arrange refund or credits. Call centres are very busy so expect long wait times on calls.
• Water supplies are unaffected by coronavirus, although water restrictions are still in force in much of NSW due to previous or ongoing drought conditions.

Noteworthy information from companies not making big or new announcements:

• Telstra is giving consumer and small business home broadband customers (ADSL, NBN and Cable) unlimited data at no additional charge on their plan from Thursday 19 March until 30 April 2020. Telstra is also giving consumer and small business mobile customers more data. Post-paid customers (both handheld and mobile broadband) can receive an extra 25GB of data on their plan to use in Australia within 30 days.
• Optus Mobile is giving its postpaid smartphone users access to an extra 20GB of data during April, and 10GB for prepaid users.
• Airlines are offering different rebate options for passengers unable or unwilling to fly. Most require contacting the airline a set number of days before the intended flight date to arrange refund or credits. Call centres are very busy so expect long wait times on calls.
• AGL, Origin and Energy Australia are reviewing their small business assistance programs so there are likely to be more updates from them in the next coming weeks.

For questions and comments regarding Business NSW's Policy and Advocacy Manager's please email policy@businessnsw.com