Blue NRG and People Energy have paid a combined penalty of almost $2 million after they allegedly failed to surrender enough certificates to offset their liability for the 2020 compliance year under the largest energy efficiency program in the country.
1 April 2022
Updated product application guides and forms for water heating products
The commission has integrated the application process for residential/business and commercial and industrial heat pumps and solar hot water heater products across the Victorian Energy Upgrades program and New South Wales’ Energy Savings Scheme.
The state’s energy regulator is encouraging innovation from businesses in the energy sector through its new regulatory sandboxing function.
From June, under new regulatory sandboxing powers, the Essential Services Commission will be able to grant time-limited waivers from existing rules to businesses that sell, supply, generate or transmit electricity or gas, to trial innovative products or services.
The commission has granted Gannawarra Solar Farm Pty Ltd (ABN 33 615 895) a licence to generate electricity for supply or sale at a solar farm located west of Kerang in north-western Victoria. The licence was granted under section 19 (1) of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic) on 14 March 2018.
The minimum information that must be kept in the register of life support customers and residents includes:
Thursday 10 December, 3–4:30 pm (via Zoom)
Victoria’s community support organisations and customer advocacy groups met with the state’s economic regulator on Thursday to discuss the need for ongoing support for customers.
Representatives from leading community support organisations told the Essential Services Commission that more help is needed from energy retailers for customers experiencing vulnerability.
Chairperson Kate Symons hosted the ninth community sector roundtable with seven participants from six community support organisations.
On 10 August 2021, Murra Warra II Project Co Pty Ltd (ACN 636 141 704) applied for a licence to generate electricity for supply or sale, and to sell electricity under section 18 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic).
Consultation on the applications closed on 7 September 2021. We received no submissions.
We granted the licence on 16 September 2021. This licence was varied on 20 June 2023.
Overview
As part of its Energy Fairness Plan commitments, the Victorian Government has reformed the enforcement framework that we operate under. To align with this new framework our existing energy codes will transition to ‘codes of practice’.
The new enforcement framework is being implemented via the Essential Services Commission (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act 2021 (Compliance and Enforcement Act).
The Compliance and Enforcement Act commenced on 1
Victorian small business and residential customers on a default electricity offer could see their annual bills reduced by at least five per cent, under a proposal by the state energy regulator.
Victoria’s economic regulator has signed off on new service standards from electricity distributors aimed at slashing the time it takes to connect new housing developments to power.
Essential Services Commission acting executive director for energy, Dean Wickenton says removing sluggish connection processes will be a boost for developers at a critical time.
“We have been working closely with the development industry and electricity distributors for some time to address potentially costly delays to new
Around 130 representatives from the energy, water and banking industries, the community sector and local government attended a virtual forum on Tuesday 11 May to discuss a new strategy aimed at breaking down the barriers to essential services.
24 May 2021
Media release: Electricians to be referred to police for alleged attempt to defraud energy efficiency scheme
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In March 2021, we found that National Carbon Bank of Australia and Ecocare Carbon Solutions had breached the rules of the Victorian
Information on the model used to calculate the cap
10 May 2023
Memo from Frontier Economics
For more information on the model used to calculate the pay-on-time discount cap, please view the Memo from Frontier Economics.
(pdf, 124.36 KB
Victoria's economic regulator has commenced an inquiry into the Port of Melbourne’s compliance with Victorian Government requirements for how it set prices for services over the past five years.
The scheduled inquiry is the Essential Services Commission’s first five-yearly examination of the port’s compliance with the Victorian Government’s pricing order covering 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2021.
Click Energy has paid penalties totalling $640,000 after an external sales agent allegedly faked customer details to sign them up without their consent.
The Essential Services Commission has issued 32 penalty notices to Click Energy after the sales agent allegedly entered 20 customers’ details into an online contract form without their permission.
Commission chair Kate Symons says the penalty illustrates the problems of rogue sales contractors operating on behalf of energy businesses, undermining trust
One in five Victorian councils decided to give ratepayers a break by holding rates steady at 2019–20 levels according to a report by the state’s economic regulator.
What we did
We engaged U1 Group to conduct user engagement research exploring the customer experience of comparing and changing energy offers, and the level of customer confidence and trust in the various comparison platforms.
Select findings
Most participants successfully identified a cheaper energy plan, or reaffirmed they were currently on one of the cheapest available plans
After comparing energy plans, 65 per cent of participants switched to a new plan.
Most
Changes to product approval requirements for lighting products with switchable wattage settings
We received an increasing number of lighting products with switchable wattage settings for approval under the VEU program for installation under building-based lighting upgrade (activity 34). We identified several administrative risks associated with the installation of this type of product.
Initial consultation – 9 October 2020
We had a small number of products containing switchable
Alinta Energy has paid penalties of $1.125 million for allegedly putting conditions on providing help to distressed customers despite the requirements of Victoria’s energy rules.
The Essential Services Commission issued the energy retailer with 75 penalty notices after it found Alinta caused distress to vulnerable customers by making them provide financial information before agreeing to set up payment plans.