Victorian Default Offer 2022
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s Draft Decision: Victorian Default Offer from 1 January 2022 (the draft decision). The draft dec...
Regional Telecommunications Review: Access and affordability in regional, rural and remote Indigenous communities
We regularly assist Victorians in disputes against telecommunications providers. Often these disputes relate to mis-selling, for example, misleading or deceptive sales practices or selling customers i...
Supporting South Australian Council of Social Service’s submission to the Remote Area Energy Supply Scheme Issues Paper
Samantha Rudolph is a Wurundjeri woman, and the Aboriginal Policy Officer with Consumer Action Law Centre. She works as part of an integrated practice project addressing the systemic causes of consume...
Improvements in consumer protection for solar welcome, but more needed
The Clean Energy Regulator (CER) review into rooftop solar makes some important proposals improve accountability for solar retailers, but for the new rules to really be effective, reform needs to go f...
Energy Assistance Report: Second Edition
This is Consumer Action Law Centre’s (Consumer Action) second Energy Assistance Report, following our previous report published in July 2019. The original report explored whether the introduction o...
REPORT: Victorians living alone and single parents continue to struggle with energy debt
A report released today by Consumer Action Law Centre has found that while Victoria’s energy retailers are slowly improving their support of people having difficulty paying their bills, Victorians liv...
Telstra Energy – application for electricity and gas retail licence raises questions
This submission is made jointly to the Essential Services Commission from the Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Counselling Australia, Financial Counselling Victoria and the Victorian Aboriginal L...
Regulating with consumer vulnerability in mind: Essential Services Commission’s draft strategy
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) draft consumer access and equity strategy, Getting to fair: Breaking down barriers to essential service...
2022 Victorian Default Offer
Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (the Commission) consultation paper, Next steps for the Victorian Default Offer (the Consultation Paper). The...
Access, pricing and incentive arrangements for distributed energy resources
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) Access, pricing and incentive arrangements for distributed energy resources (DER) dra...
Next steps for the Victorian Default Offer
Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (the Commisson) consultation paper Next steps for the Victorian Default Offer. These comments...
Tougher rules banning aggressive energy & solar sales a big win for all Victorians
Consumer Action has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement today that it is banning high-pressure sales tactics like unsolicited door-to-door sales and cold-calling to protect people from be...
More ‘trouble with telcos’ as bad service, hidden costs, and shoddy sales practices revealed
A report* published today by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) reveals that telco sales culture, practices, and cost structures before and during COVID are continuing to fail Australia’s...
Telstra cops record $50 million fine, consumer groups say industry must improve its practices
The Federal Court today upheld the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) $50 million fine against Telstra for its treatment of Indigenous people in rural and remote parts o...
Consumer group calls for unsolicited sale ban after solar company fined $3 million
This week the Federal Court of Australia ordered Vic Solar to pay a $3 million fine for violating provisions of the Australian Consumer Law relating to unsolicited sales, among other breaches of cons...
The 2021 Water Price Review –Melbourne Water Draft Decision
Access to water is a basic human right. All Victorians are entitled to a supply of water necessary for an adequate standard of living. Fundamental to this is that water services remain affordable for...
Surge in disconnections a blow to thousands during COVID
The latest data from the Essential Services Commission (ESC) reveals a big surge in the number of people being disconnected from their energy supply and increasing numbers of people struggling to keep...
Telco conduct harming customers reveals why self-regulation is a failure
A new report by Financial Counselling Australia has criticised the selling practices, customer service and financial hardship programs offered by the telco industry in the wake of COVID-19, revealing ...
Vic Government called on to act as big gaps in consumer protection put solar customers at risk
Consumer Action has today published a report calling on the Victorian Government to fix the gaps in consumer protections that are leaving thousands of solar customers prey to high-pressure sales tacti...
Report: Our response to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code
The New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code) is a voluntary industry code of conduct, which sets practice standards for the sale of New Energy Technology (NET) products, systems, and services by retai...
Australian Communications Media Authority compliance priorities
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) and WEstjustice welcome the opportunity to contribute to the development of ACMA compliance priorities for 2021 –2022, hence our submission. The past ye...
Victoria’s Embedded Networks Review: Our response
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Embedded Networks Review (the Review) Issues Paper. We support the Victorian Government’s decision to ban emb...
REPORT: Telcos miss the mark on hardship support during COVID, time to treat them as an essential service
A new report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) Customer financial hardship in the telco industry reveals stark variations in hardship support offered during the COVID-19 cris...
Victoria’s energy reforms positive but enforcement needed: Report
Victoria has taken the lead among Australian states in recent years with significant reforms designed to protect Victorians from being ripped off by energy retailers and ensure people receive appropri...
‘Bills here, bills there’: Report on the lived experience of Victorian energy reform
This report is a deep dive into how energy reforms of recent years are impacting Victorians. Taking a qualitative approach, we draw on interviews and case studies to examine how recent reforms are hel...
Lower bills a welcome relief for people on the Victorian Default Offer but room for further reductions
The Essential Services Commission’s (ESC) announcement today that electricity bills will decrease for households on the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) is good news, but it is disappointing that the cos...
Report reveals telco failures during COVID-19 crisis
Consumer Action has today published a report with case studies and data documenting the ways the telecommunications industry in Australia continues to fail the community, even during the COVID-19...
Energy efficiency and targeted rebate plan to help with big energy bills the right approach
Consumer Action Law Centre has welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement today to help thousands of concession holders manage their energy bills. For many people in our community, home ener...
The Rooftop Solar Sector Review: Our Submission
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide input into the Clean Energy Regulator’s (CER) review into the rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) sector. There has been...
Telco industry fails individuals and businesses during the pandemic
Data released today on the telco industry shows the sector has failed to meet community expectations throughout the pandemic, leaving families and business customers high and dry in their time of need...
Modernising the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Terms of Reference
Westjustice, Consumer Action Legal Centre (‘Consumer Action’), Financial Rights Legal Service(‘FRLS’), and Financial Counselling Australia (‘FCA’) provide legal casework and financial counselling serv...
Victorian Default Offer 2021 – Draft Decision
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (the Commission) Victorian Default Offer 2021 Draft Decision (the Draft Decision)...
Not serving the community: Why we oppose the Cashless Debit Card scheme
Consumer Action seeks to enhance the rights of consumers and promote a marketplace where business plays fair. The Cashless Debit Card (CDC) undermines the role of the market in serving consumer and...
Consumer groups call for an end to telco rip offs
Consumer groups* have shared harrowing stories of telco companies mistreating people around Australia and are calling on the Federal Government to fix the system so people are treated fairly. The c...
Telecommunications Consumer Safeguards: Choice and Fairness
Consumer Action, WEstjustice, VALS, FCVic, BCLS, HRCLS and HAAG consider it beyond dispute that telecommunications services, including internet services and mobile phones, are necessary for social inc...
Australian Competition Tribunal decision: A missed opportunity to improve solar sales practices
The Australian Competition Tribunal (the Tribunal) has handed down its decision today on the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (the Code), the proposed industry code for new energy technology such as sola...
Modernising the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Terms of Reference
WEstjustice, Consumer Action Legal Centre, Financial Rights Legal Service, and Financial Counselling Australia provide legal casework and financial counselling services to consumers, particularly thos...
The sale of add-on financial products through car yard intermediaries
Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial Rights Legal Centre and WEstjustice have made a submission to the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) Consultation – Product intervention: The...
Inquiry into Victoria’s Response to COVID-19
COVID-19 has deeply affected the Victorian community in unprecedented ways. With a significant number of job losses and most of the population staying at home in compliance with public health orders,...
Submission to the Essential Services Commission on the Victorian Default Offer
Consumer Action has made a submission to the Essential Services Commission on the Victorian Default Offer electricity price that is to apply from 1 January 2021. We consider that there is room to r...
Supporting energy customers through the coronavirus pandemic – Draft Decision
COVID-19 has caused significant disruption to households in Victoria and has highlighted the need to ensure that people’s health is not put at risk because of barriers to accessing energy for appropri...
Submission supporting the re-authorisation of the Solar Code
Consumer Action has supported the Clean Energy Council (CEC)’s application for re-authorisation of the Solar Retailer Code of Conduct (the Solar Code). Principally, we support the application to avoid...
Submission: Essential Service Commission’s Electricity Distribution Code review
Consumer Action has commented on the Essential Service Commission’s (ESC) Electricity Distribution Code review – customer service standards draft decision (Draft Decision). We generally support the pr...
Regulator reveals telcos failing to do proper credit checks
The telco regulator has released worrying findings from its mystery shopping study into companies' credit assessments today. The study released today by the Australian Communications and Media Aut...
Submission: Maximum prices for embedded networks and other exempt sellers
Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Service Commission’s (ESC) Maximum prices for embedded networks and other exempt sellers Draft Decisio...
A joint submission to the Electricity Distribution Price Review (2022-2027 Victorian EDPR)
Affordable electricity remains critical for vulnerable Victorians and a lack of energy affordability denies people sufficient access to an essential service. Further, high energy costs are a major cau...
Consumer Action asks Tribunal to stop ‘buy now pay later’ solar rip offs
Today the Australian Competition Tribunal will commence hearing arguments on the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (the Code), the proposed industry code for new energy technology such as solar panel sale...
Overwhelmed by bills or struggling financially as a result of COVID-19?
COVID-19 means this year we are staying at home now more than ever. As a result, your bills might be a lot higher than they were. As we enter the winter months, keeping warm and safe is more impo...
Australians urged to share their stories about financial hardship during COVID-19
Today, Consumer Action Law Centre has launched an online form to enable people to share their experiences of financial hardship during the Covid-19 emergency. The goal is to help track the severity an...