The Essential Services Commission has released its 2022-23 energy compliance and enforcement priorities today, warning energy businesses they must put Victorian consumer needs and protections first or face tough action from the regulator.
We have published a new guideline to help Victorian Energy Upgrades program participants understand the requirements of the incoming enforceable code of conduct and adapt their business practices accordingly.
11 July 2022
In light of the code of conduct coming into effect on 1 July, we previously advised that VEEC assignment forms used by accredited persons would need to be updated by 15 July.
These were to include the accredited person declaration.
As an alternative, we will also accept the accredited person declaration to be a separate document to the assignment form until 31 July.
From 1 August, all assignment forms need to be updated to incorporate the accredited person declaration.
… family violence standards in water review 2022 we reviewed the effectiveness of the family violence provisions in our urban and rural water industry standards. breadcrumb home review begins july 2022 2022-07-01 stakeholder engagement commences july 2022-09-30 stakeholder forum september 2022-09-30 review early findings with expert advisory panel november 2022-11-30 …
Our review of the family violence provisions
The Essential Services Commission is making a new Electricity Distribution Code of Practice to help energy businesses better understand and meet their obligations to Victorian consumers.
19 August 2022
Update on assessment of pending certificate claims for refrigerated cabinet installations
We are continuing our assessment of pending certificate claims for refrigerated cabinet installations to review whether they comply with the program rules.
Our review initially focused on certificate claims that have a lower per premise certificate total. We have now processed over 80 per cent of these non-duplicate lower risk certificate claims. The remainder certificate claim assessments
… lighting changes - update on recycling invoice requirements and other matters we have made changes to our lighting activity guides to update on recycling invoice requirements and other matters. breadcrumb home lighting changes - update on recycling … (if required) geo-tagged photographs (post installation). additional requirements to demonstrate that accredited persons have undertaken the lighting upgrade as part of a site refurbishment
Thursday 30 April, 3-4:30 pm (via Zoom)
Representatives from Victoria’s community support and consumer advocacy groups say energy disconnections and the emergence of a group of ‘newly vulnerable’ customers are emerging as key issues to address due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The prospect of short-term measures leading to long-term debt for households and small businesses was also identified as a key concern.
More than 100,000 Victorians living in apartments, caravan parks and retirement villages could save hundreds of dollars a year on electricity bills under a proposal from the state’s energy regulator.
The Essential Services Commission has proposed a maximum price for electricity sold to embedded network customers based on the existing Victorian Default Offer, which reflects the independent regulator’s view of the efficient price of supplying electricity in Victoria.
You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form.
What is the complaint about?
- Select -Electricity or gas retailerElectricity or gas distributorEmbedded networkSolar feed-in tariffOther
Have you attempted to contact your provider about the issue?
- Select -YesNo
Have you lodged a complaint with EWOV?
- Select -YesNo
If your issue is about a billing or payment issue, financial hardship or
A matter involving an off-shore auditor’s alleged manipulation of invoices will be referred to police after an investigation into alleged misconduct by a Victorian energy efficient lighting company.
The Essential Services Commission has issued a formal warning to Victorian-based Cyanergy following a five-month investigation prompted initially by a consumer complaint.
Commission chair Kate Symons says the breach involved the company unknowingly submitting falsified claims for $620,000 worth of
We amended the default offer price for changes in network costs
In November 2020 we made our determination on the Victorian Default Offer prices for 2021. In this determination we used tariffs approved by the Australian Energy Regulator for the period 1 January to 30 June 2021. The approved network tariffs for the second half of the year were not available at that time.
On 15 June 2021, the Australian Energy Regulator approved the Victorian distribution network businesses'
To help water businesses communicate with customers in an accessible and effective manner, we have developed a new set of resources. In partnership with the Melbourne Social Equity Institute we developed:
- a 14-page guide on how to make processes and communications more accessible, and improve the support and assistance available to customers
- two sample Easy English documents that show what a bill explainer and summary customer charter could look like.
Victorian small business customers could save around $2400 a year, if they switched from high default gas contracts to lower market offers, the state energy regulator has found.
The Essential Services Commission’s latest Victorian Energy Market Update has revealed 10,000 small business gas customers are currently on retailers’ default gas offers, which are the highest in the market. This could represent savings of $24 million across the market.
The state’s pricing regulator has proposed keeping the cost of catching a cab from the street or taxi rank steady through the current market uncertainty.
The Essential Services Commission is seeking feedback from taxi users and other stakeholders on its draft decision, which proposes no change to the maximum fare that can be charged for ‘unbooked’ taxi services, following a review of fares.
Victorian consumers could be worse off due to an uneven relationship between the Port of Melbourne and its tenants when negotiating rents, a report into the Port of Melbourne’s approach to setting rents has found.
The Essential Services Commission’s report found the way the port negotiated and set rents could have a negative impact on Victorian consumers through higher product prices, or deferred investment.
Around 70 embedded network operators, industry peak bodies and other stakeholders met yesterday for the launch of a new guide to help operators understand their obligations to consumers.
More than 2 million Melbourne households can have a say on Melbourne Water’s service priorities and prices to apply in coming years, which have been put forward in a proposal to the Essential Services Commission.
With more households getting help to pay their water bills, the regulator says it’s pleased with how water businesses are supporting customers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Victoria’s energy regulator says falling wholesale electricity prices mean the minimum feed-in tariff paid to solar customers who feed their power back into the grid is likely to continue falling.