Following a request from Hepburn Shire Council (Hepburn), the Essential Services Commission (the commission) has approved an application for a higher rate cap of 10 per cent for the 2025-26 financial year, 7 percentage points above the 3 per cent cap set by the Minister for Local Government.The commission approved Hepburn’s proposal on the basis that the financial information presented in the application indicate that Hepburn was unable to fund essential services within the cap set by the Minister for
In its final decision on Goulburn-Murray Water’s prices for water services, the Essential Services Commission has approved new prices for customers over the 4-year period commencing 1 July 2024. Prices will change broadly in line with inflation, including for gravity irrigation, although outcomes differ by service and region. The pricing decision affects customers receiving rural water services in Goulburn-Murray Water’s service area in northern Victoria.
4 July 2024Update to non-building based lighting upgrade (activity 35) requirements We are strengthening record keeping requirements for non-building based lighting (activity 35) under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program, to safeguard consumers and support program participant compliance.
Victorian consumers are protected from unwanted marketing visits and phone calls to their homes and businesses about the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program. From today (1 August 2024), doorknocking is banned under the VEU program. This follows the ban on ‘cold-call' telemarketing that took effect on 1 May 2024. The Victorian Government introduced the bans to protect consumers from problematic telemarketing and doorknocking practices under the program.
The Essential Services Commission is seeking submissions from interested stakeholders about its review of new customer contributions, also known as developer charges, for water, sewerage and recycled water connections.The review will cover new customer contributions levied by regional urban and metropolitan retail water businesses. These charges are a contribution towards the costs of works to provide new or expanded services to a property.
The Essential Services Commission has accepted a court enforceable undertaking from Greater Western Water, after Greater Western Water admitted it failed to meet its obligations to support customers affected by family violence in 2023.
Penalty notices
IPower Pty Limited and IPower 2 Pty Limited (trading in partnership as Engie) penalty notices 2024
(pdf, 12.96 MB)
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In recent years, Melbourne Water has applied ‘special drainage area’ prices to properties in the Koo Wee Rup: Longwarry Flood Protection District and Patterson Lakes (including Quiet Lakes and tidal waterways areas).
Melbourne Water does this through the Water Act 1989.
… energy retail performance indicators review 2013 we completed a review of our energy retail performance indicator framework. project started 2000-01-02 project completed 2001-01-02 overview this review of our energy retail performance indicator … jurisdictions. the review also enabled us to streamline the data, improve terminology and clarify definitions. we consulted with stakeholders on this review we undertook a range of stakeholder consultations,
The Essential Services Commission has lowered the maximum interest rate water businesses can charge customers who do not pay their bills on time from 6.2 per cent to 5.7 per cent per annum.The commission sets the maximum interest rate to ensure charges for late payment remain fair and reflect the reasonable cost to water businesses of unpaid bills, without placing undue financial pressure on customers.The decrease in the maximum interest rate for 2025-26 is the result of a fall in the debt risk premium,
A report into the findings of the Essential Services Commission’s second inquiry into the Port of Melbourne’s (the Port) approach to rent negotiations has been tabled in the Parliament of Victoria this week.
New rules to help customers navigate the energy market
In response to recommendation 3 from the independent retail market review we are implementing a suite of reforms that help customers engage confidently and build trust in the retail energy market that took effect from 1 July 2019.
The new rules will promote transparency in the market by keeping customers informed of changes that affect their bills and whether they could access a better offer from their
In 2017, the Victorian Government introduced new rules for exempt persons that requires them to register with us for an electricity licensing exemption. Many exempt sellers and suppliers that do not have an electricity licence, and supply or sell electricity to other people, must register with us.
You may need to register with us if you:
- buy electricity from a licensed retailer and then sell it to other people
- supply electricity between the electricity
The Essential Services Commission has released its draft decision on the minimum amount electricity retailers must pay solar customers for the electricity they export into the grid. This is known as a feed-in tariff.The proposed minimum flat feed-in tariff is 0.04 cents per kWh starting 1 July 2025, down from the current 3.3 cents per kWh in 2024–25.
Equis Energy (Australia) Projects (MREH A1 AssetCo) Pty Ltd (ACN 669 645 461) as trustee for Equis Energy (Australia) MREH A1 Asset Trust (ABN 92 607 537 147) applied for a licence to generate electricity under section 18 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic). Consultation on the licence application closed on 13 February 2025. We did not receive any submissions.We granted the licence on 20 February 2025.
Energy retailer AGL Sales Pty Ltd has paid $924,600 in penalties for raising prices for 15,845 residential and small business customers, allegedly in breach of Victoria’s energy rules.This resulted in AGL charging customers more than the law allowed on 49,394 occasions, to the combined value of $924,107.
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11 February 2025
Media release: Regulator takes strong action to ensure integrity of the Victorian Energy Upgrades program
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11 February 2025The commission has taken enforcement action against accredited business Carers
The review covered the four year regulatory period commencing on 1 July 2009. Melbourne Water was included in this review in relation to its bulk water and sewerage services.
We completed our assessment of the businesses' proposals against the pricing principles in the Water Industry Regulatory Order (WIRO). We have approved the businesses' proposed prices or specified maximum prices, or the manner in which prices are to be determined, for the services provided by
On 5 April 2012, Melbourne Water submitted its 2012-13 price proposal for these special drainage areas. We then released our Melbourne Water Special Drainage Areas 2012-13 Price Review: Final Decision.
In 2008, the Minister for Finance asked us to conduct an inquiry into the development of a state-based access regime for water and sewerage infrastructure services, including the access pricing methodology.
Our final report is set out in three volumes:
- Final Report Volume I sets out the commission’s findings and its recommendations to the Minister for Finance.
- Final Report Volume II provides a comprehensive explanation of the commission’s