A state-owned energy utility will refund $40 million after it failed to flag that more than 170,000 customers had been pouring cash into accounts that were already closed.
Electricity provider Synergy said the multimillion-dollar scandal, which dates back to 2009, was finally picked up during a review of its payment systems and records.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: The major unanswered questions over $40m payment scandal.
That review itself had been triggered by a similar issue earlier this year involving thousands of vulnerable customers .
“Synergy apologises unreservedly,” chief executive Kurt Baker said on Friday.
“We have a responsibility and obligation to detect and return customer overpayments to accounts quickly.”
Baker said Synergy had allowed close to 174,000 business and re