Annual reports

We took enforcement action against eight businesses for alleged breaches of Victorian Energy Upgrades program rules. This included warnings, suspensions, disqualifications and penalties.

We penalised an accredited business for breaching the ban on cold-call telemarketing, serving three penalty notices totalling $69,231 and ordering the surrender of 28 Victorian energy efficiency certificates (VEECs).

The 38 per cent decrease in program complaints data, compared to 2023–24, suggests the new bans on telemarketing (from 1 August 2024) and doorknocking (from 1 May 2024) has had an immediate positive effect for Victorian households. 

We obtained civil penalties exceeding $27.6 million in the Supreme Court of Victoria, including a record penalty for breaches of Victoria’s energy rules.

Origin Energy was fined $17.6 million for breaches affecting 668,750 customers. While Sumo Power and Sumo Gas were penalised a total of $10 million for breaches affecting over 65,000 customers.

From 1 July 2025, the average amount Victorian Default Offer domestic customers pay for their electricity across the five electricity distribution zones is a $20 (one per cent) increase on 2024.

For small business customers, the average across the five zones is a $90 (three per cent) increase on last year.

We partnered with experts in family violence and economic abuse prevention to promote the design of safer systems and processes for energy and water businesses that support customers experiencing family violence. 
This Safety by Design partnership led to the release of the Designed to Disrupt: Safety by design for essential services report which helps create a blueprint and better guidance for the energy and water sectors.
 

We conducted an inquiry into the setting and reviewing of port precinct rental leases (from 1 November 2019 to 31 October 2024) to assess whether the rent-setting process negatively affects consumers.

We found that the Port of Melbourne has power in the setting and reviewing of land rents, but it has not exercised this power to the material detriment of Victorian consumers.

We approved the 2025–26 tariffs for 18 Victorian water businesses.

In 2025–26, typical household water and sewerage bills (for owner-occupier households) will rise on average by around:

• $32 (3 per cent) in metropolitan Melbourne
• $33 (2.6 per cent) in regional Victoria.

The new prices came into effect 1 July 2025.

We published a Regulatory Impact Statement in May 2025, which proposed new protections to improve consumers’ access to cheaper energy offers, the ability to effectively switch to the best offer and improving the application of concessions.

The enhanced protections, once finalised, will be set out as rules for energy retailers in our Energy Retail Code of Practice.

We introduced new rules in our Gas Distribution Code of Practice, requiring gas distributors to use their best endeavours to abolish a gas connection within 20 business days of receiving a retailer’s written direction. 
As more Victorians seek to permanently disconnect from the gas network and electrify their homes, our focus is on education and promoting compliance.
The updated code of practice came into effect on 1 October 2024.