Register of enforcement action

Number of notices: 2

Penalty amount: $81,404

Provisions contravened:

• Energy Retail Code of Practice (versions  3), clauses 94(2) and 106(1)

Summary:

Energy retailer CovaU Pty Ltd has paid penalties totalling $81,404 for alleged price certainty and bill change alert breaches.

We issued 2 penalty notice to CovaU after it allegedly:

• failed to provide bill change alerts at least five business days prior to a price change taking effect
• increased the tariffs on a day other than a network tariff change date.

The alleged breaches took place in August and September 2025.

By engaging in the bill change alert conduct, CovaU’s customer were not provided with information about rising costs so they could look for more competitive offers in the market.

CovaU’s conduct also undermines the objectives of the price certainty provisions. By increasing the tariffs in September 2025, CovaU created circumstances in which customers could experience a second price increase within 12 months.

Media release 

Penalty Notices

Number of notices: 7

Penalty amount: $276,626

Provisions contravened: Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic), sections 40SG(1), 40SG(3) and 40SG(4); Gas Industry Act 2001 (Vic), sections 48DI(1), 48DI(3), 48DI(4); Energy Retail Code of Practice (version 2), clause 167(1)

Obligations contravened: EnergyAustralia allegedly failed to comply with life support registration requirements for multi-site business customers within required timeframes.

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Other enforcement action: VEET scheme registry account cancellation. 

Provisions contravened: Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 sections 10B, 10C, 14(1)(j)

Obligations contravened: Cyanergy allegedly ceased to be a fit and proper person and competent and capable person to be accredited and hold a VEET scheme registry account by:

• entering into external administration, and
• resolving to wind up the company.

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Other enforcement action:

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates refused: 200.

Provisions contravened:

• Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 sections 10B, 10C, 14(1)(j).

Obligations contravened: A.K. Alvi allegedly continued to advertise energy upgrades as an accredited business under a different trading name – CarbonGreens – while suspended from the VEU program.

The commission initially suspended A.K. Alvi from the VEU program in August 2025 for alleged falsified claims, including manipulating photos to claim additional certificates. During the suspension period, A.K. Alvi – trading as Zerowatt at the time – was banned from creating certificates for any type of energy efficiency work under the VEU program.

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Ecovantage Pty Ltd Enforceable Undertaking 2026

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Other enforcement action:

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates refused: 48,550. 

Provisions contravened: 

• Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 sections 17(1), 18(1), 22(3) and 72(2)
• VEET Regulations 2018 regulation 10(3)(b) and (c), 15(2)(b)
• Code of conduct within schedule 6 VEET Regulations 2018, including clause 12. 

Obligations contravened: Ecosaver Australia allegedly created non-compliant Victorian energy efficiency certificates because: 

• made false claims about upgrades to claim more certificates, including submitting photos of the same decommissioned lighting as evidence for multiple upgrades
• claimed upgrades that did not comply with VEU and industry rules
• engaged in banned sales and marketing activity, including doorknocking and telemarketing. 

Ecosaver Australia applied for a review of the commission's decision to refuse registration of 2,586 allegedly non-compliant certificates. The review was completed on 26 March 2026 and upheld the commission's decision. 

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Other enforcement action: 

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates refused: 476.
• Victorian energy efficiency certificates ordered for surrender: 2,110.

Provisions contravened:

• Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007, section 68(2)
• Code of conduct within schedule 6 VEET Regulations 2018, including clauses 11B, 12, 15A(i)(a), and 15A(i)(b)(i). 

Obligations contravened: Energy Efficient Upgrades allegedly created non-compliant Victorian energy efficiency certificates because: 

• staged photos to falsely claim upgrades, including bringing water heater units to premises with no existing water heaters as false evidence of decommissioning
• engaged in banned sales and marketing activity, including doorknocking and high-pressure sales tactics
• failed to obtain co-payments from consumers for multiple upgrades, including paying some consumers in cash to use as a co-payment or refunding co-payments. 

Energy Efficient Upgrades applied for a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) review of the decision to cancel its VEU accreditation. On 5 June 2026, VCAT granted a temporary stay of the cancellation decision, subject to conditions, pending the outcome of the final VCAT hearing. 

Energy Efficient Upgrades previously applied for a review of the commission's decision to cancel its accreditation. The review was completed on 26 March 2026 and upheld the commission's decision.

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Duration accreditation restriction: 6-week restriction from undertaking and creating Victorian energy efficiency certificates for VEU prescribed activities: 

• activity 1D (water heating – heat pump replacing electric resistance)
• activity 3C (water heating – heat pump replacing gas/LPG). 

Other enforcement action: 

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates ordered for surrender: 36. 

Provisions contravened: Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Regulations 2018 regulation 15(1)(c). 

Obligations contravened: Cyanergy allegedly unintentionally created non-compliant certificates, because the prescribed activity was not undertaken in accordance with the Electricity Safety Act 1998 and the Gas Safety Act 1997. 

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Duration of accreditation suspension: 3 months. 

Other enforcement action:

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates ordered for surrender: 64.
• Compliance audit.

Provisions contravened:

• Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 section 17(1)
• VEET Regulations 2018 regulation 15(2).

Obligations contravened: Target Green allegedly created non-compliant Victorian energy efficiency certificates because:

• Activities were either not undertaken or they claimed more upgrades than performed.
• A scheme participant for Target Green, on more than one occasion, breached code of conduct provisions in relation to door-to-door sales. 

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Other enforcement actions:

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates refused: 960.
• Victorian energy efficiency certificates ordered for surrender: 960.

Provisions contravened: Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 sections 10B, 10C, 20(7), 68(1) & 68(2). 

Obligation contravened: Save Energy Solutions allegedly created non-compliant Victorian energy efficiency certificates based on digitally manipulated photos.

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Number of notices: 31

Penalty amount: $1,206,050

Provisions contravened: Clause 69(2) of the Energy Retail Code of Practice (versions 1 to 3)

Obligation contravened: ENGIE allegedly failed to conduct bill reviews when requested to do so by customers, in accordance with its standard complaints and dispute resolution procedures, including any time limits applicable under those procedures.

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Other enforcement actions:

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates refused: 662.
• Victorian energy efficiency certificates ordered for surrender: 773. 

Provisions contravened: Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 sections 10B, 10C, 20(8), 68(2). 

Obligations contravened: Planetwise Solutions allegedly created non-compliant Victorian energy efficiency certificates because it submitted digitally manipulated or falsified images as evidence for five non-building-based lighting upgrade (activity 35) installations. 

Planetwise Solutions applied for a review of the commission's decision to cancel its accreditation and refuse registration of 662 allegedly non-compliant certificates. The review was completed on 9 February 2026 and upheld the commission's decision.

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Number of notices: 27

Penalty amount: $1,066,986

Provisions contravened: Energy Retail Code of Practice (version 2), clause 106(1)

Obligation contravened: EnergyAustralia allegedly failed to provide accurate deemed best offer messages on customers' bill change alerts.

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Number of notices: 20

Penalty amount: $764,380

Provisions contravened: Energy Retail Code of Practice (versions 1 to 3), clause 150(1) and 150(4)

Obligation contravened: Momentum Energy allegedly:

• disclosed or provided access to confidential information about three affected customers to another person without the customer's consent, and
• failed to take reasonable steps to elicit an affected customer's preferred method of communication after the customer disclosed that they were a victim-survivor of family violence

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Greater Western Water Enforceable Undertaking 2025

Number of penalty notices: 1. 

Penalty amount: $23,077.

Provisions contravened: VEET Regulations 2018 Schedule 6, code of conduct, clause 13A(2), (3) and (4). 

Obligation contravened: NRGPAL allegedly sent lead generation and marketing emails that breached code of conduct provisions requiring them to provide information about the program, consumer rights and dispute resolution to consumers. 

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Duration of accreditation restriction: 3-month restriction from undertaking and creating Victorian energy efficiency certificates for VEU prescribed activity 44 (commercial and industrial heat pump water heaters). 

Other enforcement action:

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates withdrawn: 240. 

Provisions contravened:

• VEET Regulations 2018 regulation 12, 15a(1)(b)(i)
• Code of conduct within schedule 6 VEET Regulations 2018, included clauses 25. 

Obligation contravened: Greenbank Environmental allegedly created non-compliant Victorian energy efficiency certificates because:

• the baseline environment was deliberately staged for photographic purposes • the units were not properly decommissioned
• the installations were not completed
• a cash payment was made to the consumer.

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Duration of accreditation restriction: 6-month restriction from undertaking and creating Victorian energy efficiency certificates for VEU prescribed activities:

• activity 15 (space conditioning – weather sealing)
• activity 17 (low flow shower rose).

Other enforcement action: 

• Victorian energy efficiency certificates ordered for surrender: 2,494.
• Compliance audit.

Provisions contravened: Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 section 17(1). 

Obligations contravened: Vision Environmental Solutions allegedly created non-compliant Victorian energy efficiency certificates because activities were either not undertaken or they claimed more upgrades than performed. 

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Duration of accreditation restriction: 6-month restriction from undertaking and creating Victorian energy efficiency certificates for VEU prescribed activity 35 (non-building based lighting). 

Provisions contravened: 

• Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 section 18 and 72
• Code of conduct within schedule 6 VEET Regulations 2018, included clause 25. 

Obligation contravened: MYOM Australia allegedly created non-compliant Victorian energy efficiency certificates because the same lights appeared in multiple photos submitted by MYOM as evidence of decommissioned lighting across multiple projects. 

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