The Supreme Court of Victoria made declarations that:

• Between 1 January 2019 to 20 March 2020, in respect of 1,102 gas customers who had not paid a bill by its due by date and had arrears of more than $55 (inclusive of GST):
  • contravened cl 80(2) of the ERC, by failing to contact those customers within 21 business days after the pay-by date and give them information about the assistance to which each was entitled under Division 3 Part 3 of the ESC and how to access it.
  • contravened cl 89(1)(b) of the ERC, by failing to provide clear and unambiguous information to those customers when required to do so.
• Between 1 January 2019 to 20 March 2020, in respect of 285 gas customers who were receiving payment assistance under Division 3 of Part 3 of the ERC whose repayment of arrears was not on hold, and who failed to make a payment by the date on which it was payable:
  • contravened cl 81(6) of the ERC, by failing to contact those customers to discuss their putting forward a revised proposal under cl 81 of the ERC
• Between 1 January 2019 to 20 March 2020, in respect of 285 gas customers who were receiving payment assistance under Division 3 Part 3 of the ERC whose repayment of arrears were on hold, and who failed to make a payment towards the cost of their ongoing energy use by the date on which it was payable:
  • contravened cl 82(2) of the ERC, by failing to contact them to discuss varying the amount payable, or the frequency of those payments, or both, to give the customers more time to lower their energy costs
• Between 1 January 2019 to 8 November 2021:
  • contravened cl 83(1) of the ERC, by failing to continue to provide assistance to 173 customers in accordance with Division 3 Part 3 of the ERC where no exception applied
• Between 1 January 2019 to 25 January 2022:
  •  contravened cl 111A(1)(a) of the ERC, by failing to comply with all of its obligations to 98 gas customers under cl 89 of the ERC and after issuing a disconnection warning notice, use its best endeavours to contact each customer in relation to the matter and provide clear and unambiguous information about the assistance available under Part 3 of the ERC

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