Doorknocking ban under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program takes effect from 1 August 2024

1 August 2024

From 1 August 2024, doorknocking is banned under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program. This follows the cold-call telemarketing ban that took effect on 1 May 2024.

Under these bans, accredited persons and scheme participants must obtain express prior consent from consumers before telephoning or visiting them to market VEU energy efficient upgrades, products and services.

The bans aim to:

• protect Victorian consumers from high-pressure sales tactics and other inappropriate marketing practices
• improve consumer experience, participation and the VEU program’s reputation to ensure the ongoing success of the program.

Scope of the doorknocking ban

The following doorknocking activity is banned from today (1 August 2024) unless the consumer has given express prior consent:

• lead generating or marketing at a consumer’s home or business premises
• requiring or permitting an employee, agent or contractor to lead generate or market at a consumer’s home or business premises
• purchasing consumer contact details obtained when visiting a consumer’s home or business premises.

Updated and new guidance documents 

We have previously released guidance documents on 30 April 2024 to reflect the doorknocking and telemarketing bans. We have now made minor updates to the following documents to reflect the commencement of the doorknocking ban and to the express prior consent requirements as published in the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Guidelines on 30 May 2024:

• The VEU code of conduct guideline 
• Fact sheet – ‘Lead generation and marketing obligations’
• Fact sheet – ‘How to comply with the telemarketing and doorknocking ban’ 
• Frequently asked questions (FAQ) document providing businesses with further guidance on what the bans mean for businesses, how to comply with the ban and our compliance monitoring and enforcement approach.  

These documents, together with other VEU code of conduct documents, are available on the commission website.  

We have also updated the FAQ document to reflect the new statement of expectations released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on how business should be obtaining consumer consent to conduct telemarketing and e-marketing.  We encourage accredited persons and scheme participants to review ACMA's expectations and guide to better practice, particularly in regards to their e-marketing practices.  

Industry support and compliance

Further to previous communications and engagement in the lead up to the bans, we expect all accredited persons and scheme participants to understand their obligations and comply with the bans. Ban breaches will be taken seriously, and we have strong enforcement powers to respond to non-compliance.

We have been actively monitoring compliance with the telemarketing ban since 1 May 2024 through an expanded range of tools, such as consumer surveys, audits, and by investigating complaints. This will now extend to the doorknocking ban. Strong enforcement action will be taken against businesses for breaches of the bans.

Where to get help

If you have any questions about this update, please contact VEU support team by calling (03) 9302 1310 or via email veu@esc.vic.gov.au.