Vulnerable customers & the 111 Contact Code
At Vetta, supporting all customers, especially those most vulnerable is a crucial part of the service we provide.
The 111 Contact Code ensures that people who are more likely to need to contact 111, and who have a phone service that doesn’t work in a power failure (with no other means of contacting 111 at their premises), are provided with a means to contact the 111 emergency service. Vetta is committed to the health and safety of its customers, and has collaborated with the New Zealand Commerce Commission and the New Zealand Telecommunications Forum to establish this code.
At time of signup, we will ask you whether or not you believe you are a vulnerable customer as per the below definitions.
What is a Vulnerable Customer?
Defined under the 111 Contact Code, you might be entitled to an alternate means to contact 111 in a power cut at no cost to you, and ensuring your phone services are not disconnected. To qualify as a vulnerable customer, you must be at particular risk of requiring 111 services, such as:
- A known applicable medical condition
- Be exposed to a family voilence situation
- Have certain disabilities
To be classed as a vulnerable customer, you will need to show suppoerting evidence of the above in the form of at least 1 of the below:
- A completed Electricity Authority dependent customer notice, which includes certification from a DHB, private hospital, or GP.
- A protection order
- A letter from a health practitioner (e.g. GP)
- Documentation of impairment (e.g. ID card)
If you, or someone you know with a Vetta service is a vulnerable customer, this brings into force special requirements under our obligations to the Commerce Commission’s 111 Contact Code, to ensure our most vulnerable customers can contact emergency services when required, even in the event of a power outage.
How to apply, or gather further information
To learn more, and to apply as a vulnerable customer under the 111 Contact Code, please click below to download our application pack.
Download application pack
Further information on home phone technology and calling 111 is also available by clicking the button below to obtain an information sheet created by the TCF.
Phone services provided by Vetta that may not function during a power failure
The below telephony services provided by Vetta may not function during a power failure at the affected property, unless backup power (e.g. a UPS or generator) has been installed.
- Vetta Cloud PBX
- Vetta Cloud Phone
- Vetta Cloud Phone Plus
- Vetta SIP Trunks
- Vetta SIP Services
- Vetta phone services (e.g. a phone line provided alongside your broadband)
In addition to the above, the same applies for phone handsets and/or PABX systems which may exist at the property.
If you are using one of the above phone services, you may be unable to contact the 111 emergency service through this phone service during a power failure.
Broadband technologies provided by Vetta that may not function during a power failure
The below broadband technologies provided by Vetta, and thus phone devices utilising these technologies may not function during a power failure at the affected property, unless backup power (e.g. a UPS or generator) has been installed.
- ADSL Copper Broadband
- VDSL Copper Broadband
- UFB Fibre Broadband
- Vetta Fixed Rural Wireless
- Fixed Wireless Access
- RBI Rural Broadband
- LTE Mobile Broadband
If you are using one of the above broadband technologies to provide your phone service, you may be unable to contact the 111 emergency service through this phone service during a power failure.
Alternative means of contacting 111 during a power failure
Please use a mobile phone to dial 111 in the even of an emergency. If you do not have access to a mobile phone at the property you reside, you may be eligible to register as a vulnerable customer using the form linked above to arrange an alternate option of contacting 111 during a power cut.