Embedded Networks Review
We welcome the opportunity to provide our submission to the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in response to their Embedded Networks Review. Consumer Action Law...
Energy cost relief: Embedded networks reforms welcomed & raise the Utility Relief Grant Scheme to $4000
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement of changes to the law to ensure that consumers in embedded networks will be able to access more aff...
Strengthening Protections for Energy Consumers in Victoria
We welcome the opportunity to provide our submission with support from Westjustice and Mob Strong Debt Help, to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) in response to their consultation on Stage 2 of...
Victorian Default Offer 2026-27 draft decision
The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) leads this joint submission with Consumer Action Law Centre, community services sector organisations, and energy consumer advocates who welcome the draf...
Energy price drop heralded by lower Victorian Default Offer is good news says Consumer Action
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed the Essential Services Commission (ESC) announcement of a reduction in the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), the base energy price for eligibl...
Energy Consumer Reforms ‘Transformational’ say Consumer Advocates
Major reforms in the consumer energy market announced today by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) will have a positive and transformational impact for thousands of Victorians say consumer advocat...
Better protections for life support customers in Victoria review
We welcome the opportunity to provide the Essential Services Commission (ESC) our submission in partnership with Westjustice. Life support customers are some of the most vulnerable people in Austra...
Energy Consumer Reforms Regulatory Impact Statement
Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports the proposed reforms outlined by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) in the Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS). We consider that these reforms will prov...
Minimum disconnection amount draft decision
In this submission, we discuss the significance of energy affordability in determining a disconnection amount, the risks with setting a threshold to disconnect a person or household from an essential...
Better Energy Customer Experiences consultation
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) supports the prioritisation of a strong energy consumer protection framework for Australian energy customers, particularly as we transition to renewable en...
Victorian Default Offer welcomed but more ways needed to reduce high energy costs
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed today’s decision from the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) on the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for 2025-26 and has reiterated its call on the State Govern...
Cost-of-living measures in State Budget will make a positive difference
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO, Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed the cost-of-living measures announced in the Victorian State Budget saying they will make a ‘positive difference’ in the lives of many peo...
Essential Services Commission draft decision will help thousands in energy hardship
Consumer Action Law Centre strongly supports today’s draft decision from the Essential Services Commission (ESC) on stage one of its reforms to Victoria’s retail energy market, which will help the in...
When energy is unaffordable what can people do to keep this essential service?
"I speak to people who hold a lot of shame around these kind of debts... but this is an essential service, and it is important for a person's dignity... to have access to electricity, gas and water....
VIDEO: What ‘consumer-centric’ policies should the next Government pursue?
Consumer Action Law Centre has revealed a list of its top consumer-centric priorities to make life fairer and better for all Australians, ahead of the upcoming federal Election. “This Federal Elect...
Victorian Default Offer could do more in cost-of-living crisis and beyond
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed today’s draft decision from the Essential Services Commission (ESC) on the Victorian Default Offer for 2025-26 but calls on the Commission and Energy Retailers...
Victorian Energy Upgrades Strategic Review: Discussion Paper
We welcome the opportunity to provide our submission responding to the Discussion Paper released as part of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) Strategic Review. Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer A...
Energy is essential to our daily lives, and a core cost for people contacting the National Debt Helpline
Energy is essential to our daily lives, and a core cost for people contacting the National Debt Helpline (NDH). Energy is one of the core expenses in the household budget, and is essential to a liv...
Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Consumer Protections Review
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in response to the Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Con...
Victorian Default Offer 2025-26 Request for comment
The cost-of-living crisis has deepened the urgency of ensuring an affordable energy price for Victorians. On Consumer Action’s frontlines, we hear from Victorians every day who are struggling to meet...
Energy Consumer Reforms Consultation
Consumer Action supports the objectives of the Essential Services Commission (ESC’s) proposed reforms to ensure people experiencing payment difficulty are receiving the best price for energy from thei...
Strategic Review of the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
We welcome the opportunity to provide our feedback to the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) strategic review. Consumer Action supports the VEU program objectives of helping Victorians to make energy...
Door-knock sales ban starting this week in Victoria will reduce harms say consumer advocates
Consumer Action Law Centre campaigned long and hard for a ban on door-to-door sales in Victoria and we are delighted that the ban for businesses that are part of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) ha...
Network Outage Review
As extreme weather events continue to increase, it is imperative that Victorians’ access to essential services is protected and prioritised by Government, regulators and industry. Consumer Action L...
The Energy Retail Code of Practice review
We welcome the opportunity to provide our submission to the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) review of the Energy Retail Code of Practice (the Code). In this submission, where relevant, we hav...
Network Outage Review
Consumer Action Law Centre is delighted to make a submission to the Network Outage Review. We were contacted by a small number of consumers impacted by the network outages in February 2024, and som...
Review of the National Energy Customer Framework
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) review of the National Energy Customer Framework (NECF). In this submission, we draw predo...
REPORT: Energy debt higher than ever as low-income households priced out of essential service
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the Centre’s new report Energy Assistance Report 4th Edition: Keeping the Lights On published today, highlights that thousands of Victorians are st...
REPORT Energy Assistance Report 4th Edition: Keeping the Lights On
The fourth edition of Consumer Action’s Energy Assistance Report outlines the growing trends of people facing energy hardship; barriers to accessing hardship assistance; and priority areas for targete...
Victorian Default Offer price drop will help thousands of families but more needs to be done
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin says the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) decision to lower the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) price is welcome but doesn’t go far enough to help th...
Lower Victorian Default Offer for electricity welcomed but consumers in energy hardship need much more relief
More callers in paid employment contacting the National Debt Helpline are struggling with energy debt and reporting an increase in energy retailers providing inadequate hardship assistance. That’s...
Victorian Default Offer Draft Decision 2024-25
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide our submission to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Draft Decision of the Victorian Default Offer 2024-25. We welcome the ESC’s draft deci...
Telemarketing and doorknocking ban under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
Consumer Action reaffirms our strong support of the implementation of this ban on both telemarketing and door to door sales as an important step in addressing the consumer harm that unsolicited sales...
Energy prices hitting families hard and bigger price reductions urgently needed say consumer advocates
Consumer Action Law Centre CEO Stephanie Tonkin has welcomed draft decision by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) that will see a modest decrease in energy bills this year, but as more families a...
Joint Submission: Getting the Victorian Default Offer right
This submission represents the shared view of leading Victorian community sector organisations and energy consumer advocates. Our submission identifies where there remains work to be done, and Victori...
2024-25 Victorian Default Offer: Request for comment paper
Consumer Action reaffirms the importance of the policy intent underpinning the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) to provide a simple, trusted and reasonably priced electricity option that safeguards consu...
Banning telemarketing under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
We strongly support the Minister’s intention to introduce a ban on telemarketing within the VEU program. We have long advocated for bans on telemarketing (as well as doorknocking) as inherently probl...
Energy Assistance Report 3rd Edition
Understanding the experience of Victorians dealing with energy hardship Access to affordable, reliable energy is one of the key challenges facing governments, the energy sector, and consumers in 20...
REPORT: More support needed to help Victorians households manage power bills
A new report released today by Consumer Action Law Centre has found that while Victoria’s energy retailers continue to improve their support for people in financial hardship, many Victorians continue...
Consumer groups welcome Knock to Stay Connected customer code for energy companies
Consumer groups and the financial counselling sector have welcomed the launch of a new customer code for the energy sector. The Knock to Stay Connected customer code requires network companies to visi...
More support needed for Victorian households as cost of default prices for electricity will increase by 25%
The Essential Services Commission (ESC) has listened to consumer groups’ calls for a reduction of the proposed increase to the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for energy in Victoria. However, today's an...
New code will improve outcomes for Victorian consumers
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the announcement from Solar Victoria that all solar photo voltaic (PV) and battery retailers participating in their Solar Homes and Solar for Business programs will...
Vic energy regulator urged to scale back proposed price hikes
Victoria's leading social, legal, financial and consumer rights' bodies have united to oppose a dramatic planned rise in power prices across Victoria. The state's independent energy regulator, the Es...
Victorian Default Offer 2023-24 Draft Decision: We need a meaningful reduction to the proposed 31% increase
To date, we believe that the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) has been successful in achieving the policy objective of providing consumers unable or unwilling to engage in the market with a simple, trust...
Energy price hikes a further blow to families during cost-of-living crisis
Energy price hikes announced today of more than 30 per cent in the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) draft determination, are yet another blow to families during the worst cost of-living crisis in a gener...
Victorian Default Offer 2023-24: Consultation Paper
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) Consultation Paper on the review of the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for 2023-24. On bal...
Repeat offender Alinta Energy fined $380,000 for failing to help Victorians in dire need
Consumer Action has welcomed the Essential Services Commission (ESC) imposing $380,000 in penalties on energy retailer Alinta Energy Retail Sales Pty Ltd (Alinta Energy) for failing to provide adequat...
Energy price caps welcomed, but bill relief needs to reach those doing it toughest in cost-of-living crisis
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed today’s passing of the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Gas Prices) Bill 2022, which will cap gas prices and deliver bill relief, as well as plans to support...
Opinion: Equity must be central to gas market intervention
An edited version of this opinion piece was published in The Guardian on 5 December 2022 The Treasurer Jim Chalmers is set to intervene in the gas market to push down very high bills, likely throug...
Protecting consumers of distributed energy resources
With Victorians wanting to play their part in carbon reduction, consumer protections for new energy products and services need to be enhanced. This submission to the Department of Environment Land...