LPG Terms and Conditions

These are the terms of your relationship with Genesis Energy.

In remaining, or becoming, a Genesis Energy LPG customer, you and Genesis Energy agree to these terms and conditions, unless agreed otherwise in writing.

These terms and conditions are a legally binding document between you and us.

These terms and conditions apply to LPG supplied to you by us and are effective from 1 July 2016.  However, if you are an existing Genesis Energy LPG customer on 1 July 2016, these terms and conditions will apply to you from 1 August 2016.  These terms and conditions replace any previous LPG terms and conditions we have with you.

Separate terms and conditions apply to any supply by us of electricity and reticulated gas to you.

Where we have used words in a bold in these terms and conditions, they have a special meaning and are defined at the end of these terms and conditions.

If you wish to contact us, please:

• write to us at:
  Genesis Energy Limited
  Waikato Mail Centre,
  Private Bag 3131,
  Hamilton 3204,
  • or email us at lpg@genesisenergy.co.nz,
  • or call us on:
    • 0800 300 400 if you are a residential customer,
    • 0800 600 900 if you are a business customer,
    • 0800 600 950 if your premises are in a rural area
  • or fax us on 0800 110 999.

To apply to become a customer you can:

• complete an LPG Signup Enquiry Form, available from our website or our mobile app,
• or email us at the email address set out above,
• or call us on the relevant number set out above,
• or fax us on the number set out above.

If you have moved to your premises and started using LPG, you will still need to contact us to apply to become a customer.

An agreement between you and us is formed on these terms and conditions when, in our sole discretion, we accept your application to join us. The agreement will apply from the date on which you first use LPG supplied by us, and you will be liable to pay our charges from that date. Where you apply to join us before using LPG supplied by us, the supply of LPG to you will commence as soon as possible following our acceptance of your application.

What information do we need from you?

To become a customer you will need to provide us with some personal information. We may use this information for a number of purposes as set out in our Privacy Policy. You can view our Privacy Policy via our website.

We may also request information (including credit information) from relevant third parties such as credit reference agencies and other LPG retailers prior to you becoming a Genesis Energy customer and at any point while you are a Genesis Energy customer, as part of our credit criteria.

If any of your personal information changes (including your contact details) please tell us immediately so that we can update your account information.

What do we do with your personal information?

Any personal information you give us is strictly confidential and will be kept secure and held by us in accordance with the Privacy Act 1993. A copy of our privacy policy is available on our website. That policy outlines how we deal with your personal information. You can access your personal information held by us on request and correct it if it is wrong.

Can more than one person be a customer?

If more than one person is the customer at any premises, these terms will apply to each of you jointly and severally. This means that each of you may individually be responsible for paying our entire invoice, and that everyone who wishes to become a customer will have to contact us.

You may nominate a person to make decisions for you under these terms. However, you are still responsible as a customer.

What if you have unpaid invoices?

As a customer, you will be responsible for paying all fees and charges and for making sure the requirements of these terms and conditions are met. We will give you reasonable notice if circumstances arise, or are likely to arise, which mean that you will incur a fee in addition to your standard rates for LPG supplied by us, including for unpaid invoices.

You agree that we may add any of your unpaid invoices with us from other premises to your next LPG invoice for LPG used at your new premises.

Please note that if you, or another person at your premises, has any unpaid invoices with us, we may refuse to supply LPG to your premises or accept you as a customer until that invoice has been paid.

Genesis Energy will rent to you equipment including the LPG bottles for the supply of LPG to your premises. The equipment will remain the property of Genesis Energy or the Distribution Company at all times and may not be sold, rented, charged or otherwise transferred without our prior written consent. Title to the equipment will not pass to you at any time unless otherwise agreed in writing, and you will ensure that the equipment is not, and does not, become a fixture or fitting of the premises.

You will only allow the LPG bottles to be filled with LPG supplied by us or our Distribution Company.

You will keep the equipment in your possession at the premises during the term of this agreement and will be responsible for its security and condition. You will notify us of any damage to the equipment and will not undertake any work on the equipment except where authorised by us. Any equipment lost or damaged by you or while in your possession will be invoiced at replacement value.

For any employee or agent of Genesis Energy or our Distribution Company you must:

• provide safe, unobstructed and slip free access to the LPG bottles, and any equipment on your premises between 7.00am and 7.00pm, Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays;
• provide immediate access to your premises at any time for safety or emergency reasons; and
• allow access for installation, connection, testing, inspection, maintenance, repair, replacement, discontinuation or removal of any equipment owned by us and/or the Distribution Company.

• ensure that any dog or other animal is secured to enable safe and easy access; and
• keep your trees and other vegetation regularly trimmed to a safe distance from any equipment. If you do not, you will be liable for the costs of carrying out such work and we may not supply LPG to your premises.

Any representatives of Genesis Energy or the Distribution Company requesting access to your premises will carry identification and present their identification to you on request. If they are unable or unwilling to show you their identification, you should not give them access and should contact us immediately to confirm the reasons for the visit.

What if we have problems gaining access to your premises?

If granting access to us is difficult please contact us to discuss alternative access options.

If you don't provide adequate access or refuse to provide access, we will not be able to supply LPG to your premises.

What if we hold keys to your premises?

If we have a key or security information to enable us to gain access to your premises, we will be responsible for its safe keeping and will use it only for the purposes described in this section 4. We will comply with any direction from you to return or destroy keys that you have given us, and/or the Distribution Company.

You must provide and maintain, at your cost, a suitable space for the secure housing of the equipment.

Equipment should not be installed:

• in an inaccessible location,
• under a stairway,
• in a location where there would be no air movement across the equipment,
• under a building (unless permitted by the LPG Association Code of Practice No 2),
• in a position that would obstruct exits from a building,
• buried in the ground, or
• where damage is likely to occur, unless adequate protection is provided.

You must request a delivery of LPG when it is required.

We will use our reasonable endeavours to deliver the LPG bottles to you within a reasonable time of receiving your request for delivery or in accordance with an agreed delivery schedule. Deliveries will be made during normal business hours unless we both agree otherwise.

If an urgent delivery is required within 48 hours, we will consider all requests and if we are able to deliver, we will do so. Any urgent deliveries will incur a fee in accordance with our current published delivery fees.

You must provide us and our contractors with safe and easy access to your premises to enable delivery of the LPG bottles. If you do not provide us and our contractors with access in accordance with section 4, you may be charged a non-delivery fee or an additional delivery fee.

You must ensure that the premises at which the equipment is to be used shall at all times comply with any relevant laws and regulations and must remain safe to use. We may delay or suspend delivery at any time if access to your premises is considered by us to be unsafe, if the delivery conditions are considered by us to represent a hazard to our delivery drivers or the Distribution Company's delivery drivers, or if the connection is not considered to be compliant or safe.

You will ensure that your current LPG gas installation has been certified by a registered gas fitter in accordance with regulations under the Gas Act 1992. If you store more than 100 kgs of LPG on the premises, you must obtain a current site location certificate in accordance with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 and associated regulations. The LPG Association may be able to assist you in ensuring compliance with this requirement.

All equipment must be used in a safe and prudent manner. You must not tamper or interfere with any equipment except to the extent that action has to be taken to protect the health and safety of persons or to prevent damage to property. Please report any escape or smell of LPG from the equipment or any interference with the equipment to us immediately.

The risk of any loss, damage or deterioration of the LPG bottles or of the LPG in those bottles shall pass to you upon delivery.

We will send you an invoice for payment. Your invoice will be delivered to the address provided by you.

Any penalties or other charges that are additional to our usual fees will be separately itemised on your invoice. You must pay the total amount shown on each invoice (including GST) by the due date specified on the invoice. You may not deduct or set off any amount from the amount shown on your invoice.

What if you have a dispute?

If you dispute any amount payable under an invoice, you must give us notice at least 3 working days prior to the due date of the invoice, identifying the amount in dispute, and giving full reasons for the dispute. We will investigate your dispute as quickly as possible.

If you dispute the amount on your invoice, or any part of your invoice, you must still pay the undisputed portion of that invoice in full by the due date. If you do not pay the undisputed portion of your invoice, and fail to contact us, we may remove the LPG bottles from your premises.

We will not stop supplying you with LPG if there is a genuine dispute between us in relation to an invoice and you have paid us any undisputed amount by the due date.

What if you don't pay?

We will try to help you in making payment arrangements with us, but if you do not pay amounts due to us, we may remove your LPG equipment and you may incur fees for discontinuation and debt collection (in addition to our other rights under this agreement or at law).

Any costs incurred in collecting money owing to us by you, including bank fees, credit agency fees, legal and court costs and default interest, are payable by you.

What if your invoice is wrong?

If your invoice is incorrect, we will refund any amount that we have over-charged, or you will pay any amount that we have under-charged. In any event, you will be responsible for the payment of all of the LPG used by you.

You must pay the fees and charges set out in the Genesis Energy LPG price list unless we have agreed otherwise in writing, including LPG bottle rental, LPG bottle refill and LPG delivery charges. These fees and charges may change from time to time.

We may also require you to pay other fees for services provided to you which are not shown on our price list. If circumstances arise that mean you will incur an additional fee, we will tell you before charging you this fee. All prices include GST unless specified otherwise. Please call our Customer Excellence Team, or check our website, for a copy of our most recent price list.

If you move, have your LPG supply permanently discontinued or no longer require LPG:

• if you have paid the full annual LPG bottle rental, Genesis Energy shall apply a pro rata credit to your Genesis Energy account for the remaining LPG bottle rental period (subject to deduction of any amounts that you owe us). This credit shall be calculated on a daily basis from the day you cease to be a Genesis Energy LPG customer up to the end of your annual LPG bottle rental period;
   
• where the annual LPG bottle rental has not been paid, you must pay the pro rata LPG bottle rental for the period the LPG bottle was used by you;
   
• if a full LPG bottle is returned, Genesis Energy will also apply a credit for this bottle to your final account. If, however, a partially used LPG bottle is returned, Genesis Energy will not refund the unused portion of LPG.

You may pay your invoice by any of the methods described on our website. If you would like to receive further details, please call us on 0800 300 400 (Residential), 0800 600 900 (Business) or 0800 600 950 (Rural).

All money owing must be paid by the due date on your invoice.

Without limiting any of our other rights under this agreement or at law, we may charge interest on overdue LPG accounts at the rate of 2.5% per month.

Discontinuation by you

You may terminate these terms and conditions at any time by providing 2 weeks' notice. If you are moving house or changing premises you must also give us a forwarding address. These terms and conditions will come to an end when we receive payment in full of all outstanding fees and charges.

If we agree to supply LPG to your new premises, these terms and conditions will apply to your new premises.

Upon termination of this agreement you will allow us and/or our contractors and agents to enter the premises and collect the equipment. For the avoidance of doubt, this right survives termination of this agreement.

If the new occupier does not take over the supply from Genesis Energy, within a reasonable time period we will collect the equipment in line with the distribution cycle for your region, and the passing of risk will occur when we have collected the equipment.

What if you are switching your LPG supply to another supplier?

If you are not going to remain our customer after your move, our charges to you will stop on the date agreed between you and us. This agreement will come to an end when we receive all outstanding payments from you.

Where you have instructed us that you are switching to another retailer, we will terminate your supply in accordance with industry standards and your new retailer or its agents will remove the equipment and return it to us. You must allow your new retailer or its agents access to your premises in order to remove the equipment.

Discontinuation by us

In addition to our and the Distribution Company's other rights of discontinuation under these terms and conditions, your LPG supply may be discontinued:

• for non payment of the undisputed portion of an invoice, or
• if you breach any other term of these terms and conditions.

Will we tell you about discontinuation of your supply?

Except in the case of emergencies, for safety reasons, or where we suspect you have tampered or interfered with the equipment at your premises supplied by us or the Distribution Company, we will tell you at least 7 days before we discontinue your supply of LPG. We will also contact you, at the contact details provided by you, to provide you with a final warning at least 24 hours prior to discontinuing your supply. Any notice of discontinuation from us will include information as to how you maybe able to prevent discontinuation if prevention is possible.

We may ask you to pay a discontinuation fee in respect of the action taken by us under this section 11.

The Distribution Company is entitled to discontinue your supply if:

• you fail to grant the rights of access specified in these terms and conditions,
• the location of your equipment does not allow the safe supply of LPG,
• the location of your equipment does not comply with the relevant laws and regulations requested to do so by us,
• it considers your equipment to be unsafe, or
• you breach any other term of these terms and conditions.

When you want to start your LPG supply for either a new connection, an altered connection or a reconnection, please call us. Before we agree to reconnect your LPG supply we may require you to:

• be present at time of reconnection,
• have a registered gas fitter carry out the reconnection,
• pay all oustanding amounts,
• agree to a payment plan or any other reasonable requirements,
• pay for the resupply of new bottles,
• pay the annual bottle rental fee, and/or
• provide a gas compliance certificate from a registered gas fitter.

Genesis Energy is a member of the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner Scheme and will deal with any complaints you have in relation to your LPG supply in accordance with the requirements of that Scheme.

If you have a complaint, please contact our Customer Excellence Team. Our contact details are set out in section 1, or, alternatively, you can make an appointment to see us at our offices. Our free internal complaints resolution service is explained on our website.

We will try to resolve your complaint straight away. If it is complex, or involves other parties, such as the Distribution Company, our Customer Resolutions Team will investigate it for you. We may also refer it to the Distribution Company. If we do this, we will tell you.

In any event, we will acknowledge your complaint in writing within 2 working days after we receive your complaint.

If we can't resolve your complaint straight away, we will give you a response within 7 working days after we receive your complaint.

If:

• we have not resolved your complaint within 20 working days and have not written to you explaining why we need more time to reach a resolution; or
• we have taken longer than 40 working days to resolve your complaint; or
• you are not happy with our proposed resolution,

you may refer your complaint to the free independent dispute resolution service provided by the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner on 0800 22 33 40 or visit www.egcomplaints.co.nz. You may also refer your complaint to the Disputes Tribunal, the Court or other third party.

What will we be liable for?

We will not be liable to you (in contract, tort including negligence or otherwise) for any loss or damage you may suffer unless that loss or damage is direct loss of or damage to your physical property and it occurs due to:

• our breach of these terms and conditions, or
• our negligence,

and the loss or damage is:

• reasonably foreseeable and is directly caused by our breach or our negligence, and
• is not caused by something beyond our control,

but we will not be liable in any cases for any other loss or damage, including indirect or consequential losses, loss of profits or similar.

What is an event beyond our control?

An event or cause beyond our control includes, but is not limited to: acts of God, war, riot, civil commotion, malicious damage, compliance with any law or governmental order, rule, regulation or direction, accident, earthquake, fire, lightning, storm, flood or other similar event, traffic accidents, acts or omissions by the Distribution Company, problems with your LPG gas pipes inside your premises, problems with the distribution of LPG, problems arising because of health and safety hazards at your premises, and other things which we do not have control over.

What is our maximum liability?

If we are liable to you, the maximum amount we will pay as compensation for your loss is $10,000 in respect of any event or series of closely related events. We may choose to replace any damaged property or goods, up to the same maximum amount, instead of paying cash.

We are not required to honour these terms and conditions in circumstances where an event has occurred which is beyond our control and which prevents us from doing the things we would normally do. We will carry on honouring our obligations as soon as it is reasonably practicable for us to do so.

If you acquire goods or services from us for personal, domestic or household use or consumption, any rights you have under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 are not affected by our limitations of liability. However, if you acquire goods or services from us for the purposes of a business, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 does not apply to the maximum extent permitted by law.

You acknowledge that the fullest extend permitted by law, we excude any and all liability to you under sections 9, 12A, 13 abd/or 14(1) of the Fair Trading Act 1986.

All other express or implied warranties or guarantees (including those set out in the Sale of Goods Act 1908) are fully excluded to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Our limitations of liability extend to our employees and agents for the purposes of the Contracts (Privity) Act 1982.

Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in these terms and conditions, nothing in these terms and conditions will exclude or limit the application of any law in New Zealand where such law applies to the supply of LPG, or any other services we supply, to the extent that to do so would:

• contravene that law; or
• cause any part of this section 14 to be void.

What you will be liable to us for

You agree to indemnify us and our representatives, agents and employees, in respect of all claims, demands, actions, suits, proceedings, damages, losses and expenses of any nature, arising out of or in connection with any breach of these terms and conditions by you.

What is your maximum liability to us?

If you are liable to us, the maximum amount you will pay us as compensation for our loss is $10,000 in respect of an event or series of closely related events ("customer liability cap"), subject to the following exceptions. The customer liability cap does not apply to any charges payable by you under these terms and conditions, where the loss is caused by your deliberate or wilful conduct.  The customer liability cap also does not apply unless the goods or services acquired from us are of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use or consumption.

We may make changes to these terms and conditions, the Distribution Company's requirements, or our price list. If we make changes to these terms and conditions, the Distribution Company's requirements or if we increase the LPG prices set out in our price list, we will give you at least 30 days' notice of the changes. We will do this by any reasonable method of communication including by:

• advertising in a local daily newspaper, or
• posting a notice on our website; or
• writing to you; or
• emailing you; or
• notifying you by other electronic means,

or by a combination of these methods.

This agreement may not be transferred or assigned by you to any other person.

We may transfer to someone else all or any part of our rights and responsibilities under this agreement. We may also sub-contract or delegate our responsibilities under this agreement to other people or companies. Where we transfer our rights and responsibilities under this agreement, we will advise you that the agreement is being transferred to another company, where you can access the information you need to contact the new company and when the transfer will take place. If, for any reason, we have, or we are likely to have, a receiver, liquidator or other similar officer appointed, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the supply of your LPG is not affected.

Except as otherwise provided in these terms and conditions, our invoices or notices to you will be:

• delivered to your premises, or
• mailed to the most recent postal address you have given us, or
• emailed to the most recent email address you have given us, posted on our internet billing system, or
• sent to you by electronic means (where you have agreed to receive your invoices in this manner).

All notices sent to you will be considered to have been received by you:

• on the day it was delivered to the address to which you asked us to send notices; or
• 3 days after being posted by us to the postal address you provided to us; or
• the day after it was transmitted to the email address you provided to us, or posted to our internet billing system or sent to you by electronic means; or
• on the day after it was published on our website or the notice appeared in your local newspaper.

The Distribution Company we work with to supply LPG requires us to ensure that the information contained below is agreed to by you. When you become our customer, you agree to those arrangements as part of this agreement.

If the Distribution Company causes you loss or damage, you may wish to advise us.

The Distribution Company has agreed to be liable to us in certain instances.

We may decide, in our sole discretion, whether to seek to recover any sum from the Distribution Company in respect of the loss or damage you have suffered. If we recover any sum from the Distribution Company, we will forward to you the amount so recovered (less our reasonable costs of recovering such sum) which is applicable to you. Other than paying you such amount, we will have no liability to you in respect of any defaults by the Distribution Company.

If you acquire goods or services for the purposes of a business, the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 does not apply to the services provided by the Distribution Company to the maximum extent permitted by law.

You indemnify the Distribution Company from any claim made by any third party in respect of any damage or loss to any third party from the LPG equipment while the equipment is in your possession. This condition, and the other conditions in these terms and conditions which refer to the Distribution Company, are intended to be for the benefit of, and are enforceable by, the Distribution Company under the Contracts (Privity) Act 1982.

All our rights shall remain in force notwithstanding any delay or forbearance of enforcement and no waiver by us shall arise under any circumstances unless such waiver has been expressly agreed to in writing by us.

discontinue and discontinuation means the removal of equipment from your premises.

Distribution Company means the distribution company, which is responsible for installing, maintaining, repairing, delivering and refilling the LPG bottles on our behalf.

equipment means the LPG bottles and any other LPG equipment supplied by Genesis Energy or the Distribution Company.

Genesis Energy, we, us and our means Genesis Energy Limited, its agents, successors and assignees.

LPG means Liquefied Petroleum Gas, which complies to NZS5435.

premises means the property supplied with LPG under this agreement including all pipes, equipment and appliances on your site that use LPG other than those owned by us or our Distribution Company.

price list means Genesis Energy's various pricing plans, fees (including special fees) and charges for LPG and other services which from time to time apply in your area. Your current relevant price lists are available by calling our Customer ExcellenceTeam.

you/your means you, the customer.