Energy - Consumer Action Law Centre

Making sure Victorian energy is safe for those requiring power for life support purposes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

Energy Market Commission confirms the deregulated energy market has not delivered for Victorians

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has admitted that competition among energy retailers is not delivering ‘expected benefits’ in its annual retail energy competition review. The Victor...

Draft AER Benefit Change Notice Guidelines – Submission

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to AER’s Draft Benefit Change Notice Guidelines (Draft Guidelines). This policy area is well trodden ground for Co...

Relief for Victorians struggling to pay essential service bills

The Victorian Government has announced an increase to the Utility Relief Grant Scheme (URGS) with $21.7 million allocated in the upcoming budget. Victorians households are currently eligible to apply...

NEM Data Strategy Consultation Paper

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Energy Security Board (ESB) Consultation Paper regarding the development of the NEM Data Strategy. Consumer...

AEMC National Energy Retail Amendment (Preventing discounts on inflated energy rates) Rule 2018 Consultation Paper

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) National Energy Retail Amendment (Preventing discounts on inflate...

Image of wind turbines denoting a submission about energy

Consumer Action Submission: Developing a reference price methodology for Victoria’s energy market

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to provide a brief submission in response to the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Consultation Paper regarding the development of a methodology to determine...

Submission: DELWP Consultation Paper – Response to the Bipartisan Independent Review of the Electricity and Gas Retail Markets in Victoria

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the government's Interim Response to the Independent Review of the Electricity and Gas Retail Markets...

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