Energy Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Consumer Action Law Centre

Implement strong protections to ensure households benefit from new energy technology
Australian Energy Market Commission Issues paper one: Consumer Protections in an Evolving Market: New Energy Products and Services - 2020

Consumer Action’s legal and financial counselling services have regularly assisted consumers experiencing harm as solar technology grows in popularity in Victoria. Our Power Transformed, Knock It Off!...

Energy contracts can only be fair if all Victorian energy users have the same protections
Essential Services Commission – ‘Ensuring energy contracts are clear and fair’ draft decision

Despite the introduction of the Victorian Default Offer for electricity, the state’s most vulnerable energy consumers still face challenges in the market. Energy prices changing unexpectedly, excessiv...

Remove barriers to energy efficiency for rental properties
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning - Discussion Paper; Options for Addressing Risks from Open Flued Gas Space Heaters in Victoria – Letter of Support for Tenants Victoria Submission

Consumer Action’s National Debt Helpline service provided financial counselling to over 11,000 people in the 2018/19 financial year. Often issues with low quality rental properties or disputes with re...

Lack of minimum efficiency standards put renters at greater risk of energy debts
Department of Justice and Community Safety - Residential Tenancies Regulations 2020 Regulatory Impact Statement

The financial counsellors working on Consumer Action's National Debt Helpline service provided financial counselling to over 11,000 people in the 2018/19 financial year. Often issues with low quality...

Tricky terms in electricity and gas contracts to be abolished

Victorian energy users are set to benefit from more clarity and fairness when it comes to their energy bills. This comes as a result of the Essential Services Commission (ESC) draft decision on Recomm...

Victorian Default Offer price determination protects everyone’s right to a fair price for electricity in 2020

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) announcement of ongoing price protection for household electricity supply in Victoria. The Victorian...

Giving energy users access to fair finance for new energy tech
AA1000439 - New Energy Tech Consumer Code - consultation proposed amendments to draft code

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the AA1000439 – New Energy Tech Consumer Code— consultation on proposed amendments to draft Code (Proposed Amendment...

All Victorians deserve access to fair energy pricing
Essential Service Commission – Victorian Default Offer to apply from 1 January 2020 Draft Decision

Since its implementation on 1 July 2019, the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) has given more Victorian energy users access to fairer pricing for their essential electricity services. In our comment to...

Energy compliance and performance reporting guideline
Essential Services Commission – Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline updated to include new entitlements for customers Draft Decision

Monitoring is only as effective as the information gathered. In our submission to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline updated to include new entit...

Energy regulators should have strong powers to stop misconduct
Treasury - Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2019

Consumer Action supports the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2019 (the Bill). We feel that it will ensure the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has appropriate powe...

National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule Determination

Fairness needs to be at the forefront of the energy market
Energy Security Board - Post 2025 Market Design Issues Paper

It is our firm stance that fairness should be at the forefront of all markets. In our comment on the Energy Security Board (ESB) Post 2025 Market Design Issues Paper (Issues Paper), Consumer Action...

Giving energy users access to fair finance for new energy tech
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission - AA1000439 New Energy Tech Consumer Code Application

On 9 September 2019, Consumer Action attended a pre-decision conference on AA1000439 New Energy Tech Consumer Code (The Code) Application. We have provided a further submission following the discussio...

Making sure Victorian energy is safe for those requiring power for life support purposes
Essential Service Commission - Strengthening protections for life support customers draft decision

Most people would take the reliability of electricity services for granted. When the power goes out, it is frustrating, but not life threatening. But for many Australians, a loss of electricity is...

Looking after the needs of Victorian energy consumers
Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria - Independent Review

The Energy & Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) plays an important role in ensuring Victorian households have ongoing access to fair outcomes in relation to the provision of essential energy and wate...

Keeping energy market prices down during energy shortages or network constraints
Australian Energy Market Commission - Draft determination allowing demand response service providers to participate in the wholesale energy market

Demand response service providers could play an important role in the event of energy shortages, coordinating high energy users to consumer less to help keep energy prices down across the market. Curr...

Preparing vulnerable Victorians for electricity outages
Essential Services Commission - Electricity Distribution Code Review Issues Paper

Consumers rely on energy distribution businesses to ensure a consistent supply of their essential electricity services. It is important that these businesses are regulated effectively so that consist...

New Energy Tech Consumer Code must protect Australians from exploitative buy now pay later arrangements
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission - AA1000439 New Energy Tech Consumer Code Application for Authorisation Draft Determination

Consumer Action regularly assists vulnerable and disadvantaged consumers in Victoria with legal and financial issues that arise due to new energy technology such as solar. . The New Energy Tech Consu...

Victorian Default Offer to apply from 1 January 2020 Issues Paper
Essential Service Commission - Victorian Default Offer to apply from 1 January 2020 Issues Paper

The Victorian Default Offer (VDO) was designed to re-regulate electricity pricing to ensure that more Victorian households receive a fair price on their electricity service. Since the VDO’s establishm...

Landmark report shows Victorian Government’s new policies are reducing energy disconnections, but energy companies are still falling short addressing consumer vulnerability

A new report shines a light on the Victorian Government’s ‘Payment Difficult Framework’ finding that disconnections have significantly decreased, but some energy companies are still giving vulnerable...

Energy Assistance Report: tracking how Victoria’s changing energy policies are impacting households in the state

Consumer Action's new landmark report shows that the Victorian Government's new policies are reducing energy disconnections, but energy companies are still falling short addressing consumer vulnerabil...

Victoria’s Mental Health Royal Commission must examine links between links between poverty, debt and mental health
Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System

Consumer Action’s financial counsellors and lawyers speak regularly to individuals experiencing mental health issues. These individuals are commonly trying to deal with a range of consumer problems in...

Ensuring energy contracts are clear and fair, ESC Issues Paper
Essential Services Commission - Ensuring Energy Contracts are Clear and Fair Issues Paper

Deregulation in Victoria’s energy retail market has not delivered fair outcomes for all households accessing their essential energy services. The State Government has taken a number of steps to hel...

Government sets new energy price safety net to stop Victorians getting ripped off

Victorians will be taking back control of their energy prices thanks to the introduction of the Government’s new default energy offer. Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) is strongly suppo...

Essential Services Commission Consequential amendments related to the Victorian Default Offer Draft Decision
Essential Services Commission - Draft Decision on the Consequential Amendments Related to the Victorian Default Offer

Generally, we strongly support this Draft Decision as it makes clear that energy retailers must ensure that they inform households in Victoria of new protections and options available when choosing an...

New Energy Tech Consumer Code ACCC application
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission - AA1000439 New Energy Tech Consumer Code

Energy is an essential service and the energy system is rapidly transitioning to new technologies. Householders are finding it increasingly complex, confusing and risky to make decisions about their e...

New framework creates better outcomes for Victorians struggling with energy debts

The rising cost of energy has long been a concern for families across the country. The Victorian Government is working to help combat energy affordability issues through its Energy Fairness Plan an...

Re-regulation of energy prices will see Victorians paying a fair price
Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning - Draft orders in Council on the Victorian Default Offer

The Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for the state’s energy market must be available to all Victorians or its objective to ‘provide a simple, trusted and reasonably priced electricity option that safegua...

Regulatory framework for new embedded networks
Australian Energy Market Commission - Updating the regulatory arrangements for embedded networks draft report

CALC is supportive of the AEMC’s proposed regulatory framework for new embedded networks, as equity in consumer protections should not be dependent on the business model of the supplier of energy. I...

Energy pricing under the Victorian Default Officer must ensure fairness for consumers
Essential Services Commission - Draft advice on the Victorian Default Offer methodology

As part of its response to pressure to curb energy prices and address inequality within Victoria’s energy market, the Victorian Government recently introduced the Victorian Default Offer (VDO). The V...

Sunny Side Up: Strengthening the consumer protection regime for solar panels in Victoria

Reliable, affordable, renewable energy has helped many Australians take back control of their power prices. Yet as the solar industry booms, consumer protection has not kept up. More needs to be done...

Key Findings: Sunny Side Up: Strengthening the Consumer Protection Regime for Solar Panels in Victoria

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has released the key findings of its latest report, Sunny Side Up which focuses on the urgent need to strengthen the consumer protection regime for solar p...

It’s time to clean up energy market pricing for all Victorians

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) commends the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) draft advice to the Victorian Government about the default regulated price for electricity, but urges re...

ESC Compliance and enforcement policy draft decision
Essential Services Commission - Policy Draft Decision on Compliance and Enforcement

We support the ESC changing its compliance and enforcement policy to reflect a risk-based, intelligence-led, outcome focused approach. The ESC must be able to transparently demonstrate that it is effe...

Helping customers engage confidently in the retail energy market draft decision
Essential Services Commission - Helping customers engage confidently in the retail energy market draft decision

We support changes to regulation that will facilitate simple ways of resolving issues with estimated billing. While we support making consistent factsheets for energy offers that are easier to compreh...

Victorian households must have protected and simple access to a fair price for energy
Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer for domestic and small business electricity customers staff working paper

We strongly support the ESC’s work to implement the VDO as a priority. Victorian households must have protected and simple access to a fair price for an essential service. In the period without price...

Submission: Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct Bill) 2018

Appropriate responses to misconduct or consumer harm identified as part of ongoing electricity price monitoring
Senate Standing Committees on Economics - Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibiting Energy Market Misconduct) Bill 2018

Consumer Action has provided a submission to the Senate Economics Committee inquiry on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Prohibited Energy Market Misconduct Bill) 2018. We support the Bill, which will allo...

Submission: Consultation Draft Behind the Meter Distributed Energy Resources Provider Code
Behind-The-Meter Code Working Group - Behind the Meter Distributed Energy Resources Provider Code

Consumer Action has provided feedback on the Consultation Draft Behind the Meter Distributed Energy Resources Provider Code. We consider: the name of the code should be readily understood by the...

ACCC monitoring of the electricity supply in the National Energy Market discussion paper
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission - Discussion Paper on the ACCC monitoring the electricity supply in the National Energy Market

We welcome the ACCC’s ongoing inquiry into the prices, profits and margins in the supply of electricity in the NEM. A plethora of reports have established that the electricity market is not operating...

Energy Security Board Strategic Energy Plan consultation on proposed metrics
Department of the Environment & Energy - Energy Security Board Strategic Energy Plan Consultation on Proposed Metrics

We support the ESB developing a set of outcomes and objectives and associated tangible metrics that will measure whether these outcomes and objectives are achieved. We also support the metrics that ha...

National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule Determination
Australian Energy Market Commission - National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule Determination

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Customers in Hardship) Rule 2018 Draft Rule...

Submission: ESC Draft Decision – Building trust through new customer entitlements in the retail energy market
Essential Services Commission - Building trust through new customer entitlements in the retail energy market (Draft Decision)

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Commission’s Draft Decision, Building trust through new customer entitlements in the retail energy market (D...

Treasury Laws Amendment (Improving the Energy Efficiency of Rental Properties) Bill 2018

We generally support the Bill because the benefits of modifications that improve the energy efficiency of rental housing greatly exceed the costs. We agree that the tax code should not present a barri...

Why are Victorians paying too much for energy?

This is a simple question with many complicated and at times contested answers. But there are a few things that everyone can agree on. Retail charges represent a large component of our energy bil...

A basic service offer is a quick fix for the energy mess

This piece from Zac Gillam (Senior Policy Officer) originally appeared in The Age. It was fascinating listening to the Premier attack the price gouging of energy retailers in Victoria, more so...

Solar energy rebate a win for households – now for fair energy tariffs

Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed a new Victorian government solar energy rebate program for 650,000 households, saying that solar energy on homes can help people save on power costs. “A reba...

Energy Retail Code obligations for exempt sellers under the General Exemption Order 2017: Draft Decision
Essential Services Commission - Energy Retail Code obligations for exempt sellers under the General Exemption Order 2017 (Draft Decision)

Consumer Action has made this joint submission alongside VCOSS. Embedded networks have presented serious difficulties for energy consumers for far too long, and the General Exemption Order 2017 is...

National Energy Guarantee Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper – Commonwealth Elements
Minister for the Environment and Energy (Parliament House) - National Energy Guarantee Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper (Commonwealth Elements)

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Guarantee (Guarantee) Draft Detailed Design Consultation Paper for Commonwealth Elements (Co...

National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening protections for customers in hardship) Rule 2018 consultation paper
Australian Energy Market Commission - Consultation Paper on National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening protections for customers in hardship) Rule 2018

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the National Energy Retail Amendment (Strengthening protections for customers in hardship) Rule 2018 Consultatio...

AER Powers Civil Penalty Regime Consultation Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) Powers and Civil Penalty Regime Consultation Paper, published by the Stand...

Payment difficulty framework amendments to the Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline draft decision

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the payment difficulty framework amendments to the Compliance and Performance Reporting Guideline draft decision...

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