Energy distributor AusNet Services has paid $150,000 after allegedly failing to notify customers of a planned power outage.
The Essential Services Commission issued the penalty after finding that the distributor left a mix of residential and business customers in Bass, Woolamai and Glen Forbes without electricity for three hours on 18 July 2018.
6 May 2019
Energy distributor United Energy has paid $90,000 in penalties after allegedly failing to notify customers of a planned power outage.
The Essential Services Commission issued the penalties after finding that the distributor left customers in Springvale South without electricity for more than six hours on 1 August 2018.
16 May 2019
Alinta Energy has paid penalties totalling $280,000 for again allegedly using door-to-door sales agents to switch Victorians to new energy contracts without their consent.
The Essential Services Commission issued the energy retailer 14 penalty notices worth $280,000 for switching customers in areas including Melton, Wodonga and Truganina without obtaining each customer’s explicit informed consent.
The state regulator has released an interim report on the Port on Melbourne’s approach to setting land rents and providing access to port land.
The state’s energy regulator has reassured Victorians experiencing energy bill stress as a result of summer bushfires and the coronavirus outbreak that help is available.
The Essential Services Commission has launched a campaign to inform customers across the state about the support energy retailers must offer that provides a safety net for Victorians who are facing payment difficulties.
Energy companies are required to support customers avoid getting into debt and offer advice and assistance for
The state’s pricing regulator is preparing to look at the maximum fares payable by passengers for catching a cab on the street.
The Essential Services Commission has released a consultation paper seeking feedback from taxi users and other stakeholders on its approach to reviewing the maximum fare that can be charged for ‘unbooked’ taxi services.
Unbooked services are where passengers hail a vehicle from the street or take a taxi from a rank while booked services are arranged prior to travel through an
Victoria’s Electricity Distribution Code has been updated to meet the future needs of the state’s energy grid and support customers with technologies such as solar power.
The state’s energy regulator has published its final decision on the code’s technical standards which include updates to voltage standards and new distributor reporting requirements.
Commission energy director Sarah McDowell says the changes are aimed at ensuring Victoria’s energy grid supports new technologies such as solar power,
… amaysim energy pays $600,000 for alleged sales agent fraud 20 april 2020 amaysim energy (also trading as click energy) has paid penalties totalling $600,000 after a sales agent allegedly faked customer details to sign them up without their consent. the essential services commission has issued 30 penalty notices to amaysim energy … the energy industry penalty notices is not an admission of a contravention of their retail
The state’s energy regulator has put Victorian energy companies on notice saying it will be keeping a close eye on the way they support customers at this difficult time.
The Essential Services Commission has sent a message to energy retailers, highlighting it will focus its annual audit program on how they are meeting their obligations to support customers who are having problems paying their bills or experiencing family violence.
The commission’s director of energy Sarah McDowell says supporting
… more notice on planned outages to keep victorians better informed 07 may 2020 victorian residents and small businesses will be better prepared for planned outages under changes to how electricity distributors communicate with customers proposed by the state regulator. the essential services commission has proposed improvements to the customer service standards in the electricity distribution code customer service standards in a draft decision published
26 May 2020
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We have identified instances where accredited persons have selected incorrect asset lifetime references in creating certificates under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program. This update
Victorians can avoid bill shock this winter by sending a photo of their gas meter to their energy company.
The state’s energy regulator has found more than half a million estimated bills are issued in Victoria each year*.
Essential Services Commission’s energy director Sarah McDowell says Victorians who have received an estimated bill will be able to correct this by reading their own meter and providing it to their retailer.
… north to the great dividing range in the south. the commission’s director of pricing marcus crudden said that the lower prices would not impact service standards, and the business has committed to improvements in key areas. “goulburn-murray water’s price reductions have been made possible through cost efficiencies arising from investments in modernising irrigation infrastructure and other business savings,” he said. the commission approved revenue of $439.5 million over four years, a
A new report has found customers experiencing family violence are getting more support from water businesses after customer protections were strengthened by the state’s independent economic regulator.
The research report looked at how the state’s water businesses were implementing new rules developed by the Essential Services Commission following the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
Commission director Marcus Crudden says the research shows water companies are acting with more sensitivity toward
The port of Melbourne and its tenants use contracts to set property rents for Port of Melbourne land.
This was our first five-yearly inquiry on the Port of Melbourne's process for setting land rents. It involved assessing whether the port's rent-setting process negatively affects consumers.
Our inquiry assessed the setting and reviewing of land rents at the Port of Melbourne covered the period 1 November 2016 to 31 October 2019.
The inquiry
… we have created. this decision focuses on amending the reporting guideline so that it aligns with new customer entitlements that came into effect on 1 july 2019. we also made administrative changes to the reporting guideline that affect both energy retailers and distribution businesses. this includes updating compliance measures and modifying existing performance indicators to promote consistency in reporting by energy businesses. the
12 September 2019
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The following stakeholders should be aware of these changes when considering undertaking project-based activities:
… updated our activity 30: installer requirements evidentiary requirements victorian energy efficiency certificate (veec) assignment form requirements. installer requirements accredited persons undertaking the in-home display activity must ensure their installers understand the information transmitted from the meter to the in-home display unit is considered personal information and therefore subject to the national privacy principles . installers must be appropriately
We have completed our annual review of the minimum feed-in tariffs that your energy company pays you for power you export to the grid via sources including solar panels.
From 1 July 2020, retailers will continue to be able to offer solar system owners a single rate feed-in tariff, a time-varying feed-in tariff or both.
Final decision
25
Customer impact report
October 2019
Customer impact report (prepared by Wallis, Strategic market and social research)
(PDF, 6.74 MB)
What we did
We researched customer experiences following regulatory reforms to the energy market.