In November 2020, the Commerce Commission published the 111 Contact Code to ensure that vulnerable consumers can contact emergency services in the event of a power failure at their premises.
The Code requires retail landline service providers to inform customers which telecommunications technologies and devices may not work in the event of a power failure, how they can protect themselves, and where to go for support.
Fibre and fixed wireless will not work in the event of a power failure unless you have a backup power supply, so if your landline is supplied over these technologies you will not be able to use it to contact the 111 emergency service during a power cut.
Certain devices at your premises, such as cordless phones and medical alarms without an inbuilt battery, may also not work in the event of a power failure without a backup power supply, so you may not be able to use them to contact the 111 emergency service during a power cut.
We recommend keeping a charged mobile phone on hand to ensure you have means of contacting the 111 emergency service in the event of a power failure at your premises.
Please be aware that the 111 code does not cover any medical services and/or alarms - such as those provided by St John - you may have installed in your home. Please talk to the provider of these services if you have any concerns about their reliability.
The code defines a vulnerable consumer as someone who is at particular risk of requiring the 111 emergency service and does not have a means for contacting the 111 emergency service that can be operated for the minimum period in the event of a power failure.
You can apply to be listed as a vulnerable consumer if someone at your premises relies on your landline connection for medical, safety, or disability reasons by emailing us at this address helpdesk@eol.co.nz
If your application is successful we will send you an appropriate means of contacting the 111 emergency service in the event of a power failure at your premises at no cost.
We will not deny or cease supply of a retail landline service on the basis that we know, or suspect, a consumer is, or may become, a vulnerable consumer.
Please email us at helpdesk@eol.co.nz if you have any concerns about the information provided, or if you have any sort of complaint about this process.