… new consumer resource: guaranteed service level payment scheme for distribution energy outages 25 july 2023 victorian energy consumers can expect electricity distribution companies to meet guaranteed service levels relating to how they manage unplanned power outages. these outages can occur for a number of reasons, … payment, see our consumer information sheet . more information guaranteed service level payments for energy outages (, )
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1st Energy's banned door-to-door energy retail sales activities enforceable undertaking 2023
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Energy Retail Code of Practice
Payment difficulty framework
The payment difficulty framework is a set of energy rules to better protect and support residential customers that are anticipating or facing payment difficulty.The framework's purpose is to:
- help residential customers avoid getting into debt with their retailer
- make it easier for residential customers to pay for their ongoing energy use, repay their debt when they have missed a bill and lower their energy costs
Supporting Victorians experiencing vulnerability to have equitable access to energy, water, transport and other critical services remains a key focus for the Essential Services Commission amid growing cost-of-living pressures for consumers.
The Essential Services Commission is seeking stakeholder feedback on how much Greater Western Water is proposing to charge its customers for water services over the next 4 years, as part of the commission’s 2024 water price review.
The commission has received a pricing submission from Greater Western Water which details the maximum amount the business proposes to charge its customers over the 4-year period starting on 1 July 2024.
… rules. in addition to ordering the mandatory surrender of non-compliant certificates, the commission has warned aussie greenmarks that it will closely review the business’ internal compliance monitoring policies and procedures when evaluating its accreditation renewal application. aussie greenmarks has cooperated with the investigation, including conducting its own audit and voluntarily withdrawing 666 certificates associated with nine of the alleged non-compliant upgrade activities
The Essential Services Commission has commenced civil penalty proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria against energy retailers Sumo Power Pty Ltd and Sumo Gas Pty Ltd (together, Sumo).
The commission alleges that between February 2022 and August 2023, Sumo failed to meet its obligations under the energy rules1 in relation to best offer messages, affecting more than 60,000 Victorian electricity and gas customer accounts.
A commission investigation identified conduct by an installer acting on behalf of accredited business Direct Building Solutions Australia Pty Ltd (Direct Building Solutions Australia) that resulted in alleged breaches of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program rules.
Alleged breach
Direct Building Solutions Australia allegedly breached the VEU program rules, including the code of conduct, in relation to the following:
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Jemena Electricity Networks (VIC) Ltd failure to notify customers of planned interruption undertaking 2024
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Electricity Distribution Code of Practice
The Essential Services Commission has released its draft decision on Goulburn-Murray Water’s proposed prices for water services for the 4-year period starting on 1 July 2024.
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… doorknocking ban. breadcrumb home changes to veec creation forms and veec assignment forms 8 april 2024 changes to veec assignment forms the victorian government has signalled its intention to make amendments to the victorian energy efficiency target regulations 2008 introducing a ban on ‘cold-calling’ telemarketing and doorknocking marketing practices. under the proposed ban: from 1 may 2024, an accredited person or scheme participant can only generate leads for, or market veu
A list of Orders specifying Ministerial licence conditions published in the Government Gazette is below. The Minister can specify (vary or revoke) a condition to which a particular licence or specified class of licence is to be subject, by Order published in the Government Gazette. See section 33AB(1) of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 and section 40A(1) of the Gas Industry Act 2001.
Licence grantedMultinet Distribution Partnership was granted a gas distribution licence on 11 December 1997. Licence variedThe licence was last varied on 1 May 2024 with effect from 1 October 2024.
The Essential Services Commission has formed a partnership with key leaders in family violence and economic abuse to develop better practice guides for energy and water businesses to support consumers who are experiencing family violence. Announced today at the Financial Counselling Australia Conference in Perth, the commission’s Safety by Design partnership brings together a team of independent experts:
23 May 2024Update to the Application Guide for Product ApplicantsWe have released an update to the Application Guide for Product Applicants to clarify the requirements for product test r
The Essential Services Commission has lowered the maximum interest rate water businesses can charge customers who do not pay their bills on time from 6.9 per cent to 6.2 per cent. As the state’s independent water regulator, each year the commission sets the maximum interest rate water businesses may charge customers on overdue bills.Marcus Crudden, Director of Price Monitoring and Regulation at the commission, says the maximum interest rate on overdue water bills is an important consumer protection.
The Essential Services Commission has released its draft decision on the 2024 taxi review, recommending an increase to maximum fares payable when a taxi is hailed from the street or at a taxi rank.
In its final decision on Greater Western Water’s prices for water services, the Essential Services Commission has approved new prices for customers over the 4-year period commencing 1 July 2024. Typical bills will rise by less than inflation in 2024-25. The typical annual water and sewerage bill for residential owner occupier customers in the central region will increase by $31 to $1,038 in 2024-25. And for the western region, the typical annual water and sewerage bill for residential owner occupier
The Essential Services Commission, Victoria’s independent energy regulator, has released its 2024–25 compliance and enforcement priorities. The priorities reflect the commission’s ongoing focus on protecting Victorian consumers.Commissioner Sitesh Bhojani says the commission takes an active approach to compliance and enforcement to protect the long-term interests of Victorian consumers.‘We have released our compliance and enforcement priorities for 2024–25, which apply to Victorian energy businesses and