Learn about your rights as a consumer in the sectors we regulate, including electricity and gas, local government, water, transport and the Victorian Energy Upgrades program.
Consumer information
Overview
Your consumer rights and the support available to you
Electricity and gas
Learn more about your energy rights, our reporting on the sector, and options available if you're struggling to pay your energy bills.
Energy bill support for Victorian consumers
Your rights if you are anticipating or experiencing payment difficulty
Customer payments (and compensation) for energy outages
Victorian Energy Upgrades
Find out about savings available to both households and businesses and search for accredited providers under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program.
Your consumer rights in the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
Find an accredited Victorian Energy Upgrades provider
Victorian Energy Upgrades information for households
Victorian Energy Upgrades information for businesses
Submit feedback or a complaint about the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
Water
Find information about water bills, payment support, family violence support and your rights as a water consumer.
Learn about how we review and determine prices for certain water services
Water bill support for Victorian customers
How customers rate their water businesses
Water bill calculator for Victorian customers
Commercial passenger vehicles
Learn about your rights as a taxi consumer.
Learn about maximum fares for unbooked taxi trips
Local government
Learn about your rights as a council ratepayer.
About annual council rate caps
How we advise on council rate caps
How we assess higher rate caps proposed by councils
Council compliance reports on council rate cap
Rate capping outcomes - council fact sheets
What to do if you have a query or complaint about council rates
Latest consumer news
12 June 2025
The Essential Services Commission has released its 2025 Local Government Outcomes Report, which shows most local councils remain in good financial health and ratepayers continue to benefit from council rate caps.
26 May 2025
The Essential Services Commission has released its final decision on the Victorian Default Offer to apply from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.
19 May 2025
The Essential Services Commission has today welcomed the release of a discussion paper designed to help the energy and water sectors identify risks and prevent harm for customers experiencing family violence.
16 May 2025
The Essential Services Commission is proposing new rules to require energy retailers to move certain customers onto cheaper plans.
Consumer reports
Electricity and gas
21 May 2025
The Victorian Default Offer prices which applies from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026
(pdf, 2.89 MB)
Minimum feed-in tariff
The Essential Services Commission no longer sets minimum feed-in tariffs, following an amendment to the Electricity Industry Act 2000.
From 1 July, electricity retailers may set their own feed-in tariffs. However, these cannot be below zero ($0.00) cents per kWh. More information is available from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change.
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Victorian Energy Upgrades
1 July 2022
Accredited providers or third parties operating on their behalf engaging in lead generation or marketing must offer consumers a copy of this factsheet.
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Water
Commercial passenger vehicles
16 August 2024
The maximum fares for unbooked taxi trips that begin in Melbourne Metro or Urban and Large Regional Zones which takes effect on 23 September 2024
(pdf, 791.03 KB)