Reviewing the Energy Retail Code of Practice

Overview

In 2025, we completed a review of the Energy Retail Code of Practice that considered the energy consumer reforms proposed by the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council (ECMC) in July 2024.  Details on this stage can be found in the Energy Consumer Reforms page. 

On 24 March 2026, we published a consultation paper to seek stakeholder feedback to inform additional reforms to the Energy Retail Code of Practice, including those discussed in the commission’s issues paper published in June 2024. 

Targeted Consumer Reforms and Regulatory Efficiency Draft Decision Paper

On 17 September 2026, we published a draft decision to seek stakeholder feedback which centers on a focused scope of reforms to:

• Reduce existing regulatory burden by:
  • removing the requirement for retailers to include start and end index meter reads on bills for customers with interval meters
  • clarifying that retailers are not required to include a best offer message on a customer's final bill when the customer has terminated their contract.
• Align with retailer obligations in the National Energy Retail Rules for secondary meters, and on providing customers with information on gas disconnections and abolishments
• Clarify existing obligations for complaint handling and how discounts and benefits apply to ongoing contracts
• Remove duplicative obligations around greenhouse gas disclosure and bill benchmarking
• Make consequential amendments to implement the Victorian Government's Midday Power Saver Offer. 

How to participate

We are seeking feedback on our draft decision paper. Visit Engage Victoria to provide your written submission to us by 5pm, 23 October 2026.

Final decision in December 2026

Stakeholder feedback on the draft decision paper will help inform our final decision. We expect to release our final decision and amendments to the Energy Retail Code of Practice later in 2026.

Considering additional reforms in 2027

In 2027, we will consider whether to progress other potential reforms discussed in the Strengthening Protections for Energy Consumers in Victoria Consultation Paper. This includes protections for customers affected by family violence, payment difficulty protections for customers with closed accounts and improving consumer contact information for power outages. We will consider whether the desired outcomes can be achieved through non-regulatory measures, or whether regulatory reforms are required.

Guided by stakeholder feedback and consistent with the commission's Getting to Fair: Advancing Equity strategy, we are beginning with non-regulatory approaches to improve outcomes for First Nations consumers before pursuing any rule change.

We also note that the commission is separately conducting a review of life support protections for energy customers in Victoria.

How to contact us

We will continue to proactively engage with the community, industry, community organisations and advocacy groups, government departments and agencies through individual meetings as this review progresses.

You can contact us via email, mail or phone.

• Email: energyreform@esc.vic.gov.au
• Mail: Essential Services Commission, Level 8, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000
• Phone: +61 3 9032 1300

We are also open to meeting with you to discuss specific feedback and encourage you to get in touch to discuss this option.

If English is not your first language, please contact TIS National on 131 450 to make your submission using an interpreter.

On 24 March 2026, we published a consultation paper to seek stakeholder feedback to inform amendments to the Energy Retail Code of Practice.