energy - Consumer Action Law Centre

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...

Upcoming State Election will be won on cost-of-living and fairer essential services for all says Consumer Action 

 A strong plan built on fairness for Victorians to weather day-to-day cost-of-living pressures will decide the upcoming Victorian State Election, says Consumer Action Law Centre CEO, Stephanie Tonkin....

Image of wind turbines denoting a submission about energy

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

ACMA Telstra direction reveals weak and worrying gaps in its powers to regulate telecommunications

Consumer advocates* are raising deep concerns about the ineffective framework for telco regulation in Australia following a direction from the Australian Communications Media Authority (ACMA) to Telst...

Water Customer Service Codes Review

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Essential Services Commission’s (the ESC) proposed amendments to the water customer service codes. O...

Our Policy and Campaign Priorities for 2022-23

Consumer Action has revealed its Policy and Campaign Priorities for 2022-23 with a refreshed focus on making the marketplace for consumers fairer. Director of Policy and Campaigns Tania Clarke said...

Wholesale energy upheaval should not push default electricity prices higher

The Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has written to Kate Symons, Chairperson of the Essential Services Commission (ESC), urging caution before accepting electricity retailer arguments to r...

Embedded networks ban promotes consumer choice and is a win for Victorians

The announcement today from the Victorian Minister for Energy Lily D’Ambrosio banning embedded networks in new residential apartment buildings, and improving protections for existing networks,...

Opinion: Victoria needs a fair default offer for household gas supply

Reports of gas bills to rise by $150 per annum adds unwanted pressure to Victorian household budgets, when inflationary pressures are already biting.* Over a long period, unfair market tactics have...

Electricity disconnections on the rise as gaps in support for families revealed

Amidst worrying reports of rising energy prices, Consumer Action is calling for energy retailers to do more to help families and people who fall into difficultly with their bill payments, leading to d...

Retailer authorisation and exemption review: Issues Paper

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Energy Regulator’s (the AER) Issues Paper as part of its review of the retailer authorisation and exemption frameworks...

Review of the Victorian Default Offer Order in Council

Consumer Action Law Centre welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Victorian Government’s review of the Order in Council (the Order) that was used to give effect to the Victorian Default Offer (the...

Victorian Default Offer electricity tariffs 2022-23

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Essential Services Commission’s (the ESC) Draft Decision for Victorian Default Offer (the VDO) tariffs to apply...

Inhumane energy disconnections must end: $500K Sumo Power fine

Consumer Action has welcomed the Essential Services Commission (ESC) imposing $500,000 in penalties on energy retailer Sumo Power Pty Ltd for wrongfully disconnecting hundreds of families in the lead...

Consumer protections and the Post-2025 Distributed Energy Resources Implementation Plan

As the Energy Security Board (the ESB) begins to develop its 3-year reform road map to unlock value for customers from the integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and flexible demand into en...

Payment difficulty framework implementation review: feedback on key review questions

Consumer Action Law Centre (Consumer Action) has provided feedback on the Essential Services Commission’s key review questions as part of their review of the implementation of the energy payment diff...

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...

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...

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...

Victoria’s Embedded Networks Review: Our response to the Draft Recommendations

Consumer Action welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Embedded Networks Review Draft Recommendations Report. We agree with the Panel’s vision that, “...consumers should have equal protections,...

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