Overview

We are reviewing the Energy Retail Code of Practice to:

• address key actual or potential harms to Victorian consumers in a proportionate manner    
• clarify or update obligations identified as unclear or inconsistent
• further support consumers experiencing vulnerability.

The review is split into two stages. 

• Stage 1 considers the energy consumer reforms proposed by the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council (ECMC) in July 2024.
• Stage 2 will review additional reforms including those discussed in our issues paper published in June 2024. 

We will review all submissions and feedback to assess whether further amendments to the Energy Retail code of Practice are needed. We will publish a final decision along with the final version of the revised Energy Retail Code of Practice in September 2025. 

Submissions have been published on the commission's website, except for any information that is commercially sensitive or confidential, in accordance with our submissions policy.

We will continue to proactively engage with the consumers, industry, community organisations and advocacy groups, government departments and agencies through individual meetings as this review progresses. 

We can be contacted via email, mail or phone.

• Email: energyreform@esc.vic.gov.au
• Mail: Essential Services Commission, Level 8, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000
• Phone: +61 3 9032 6290

We are also open to meeting with you to discuss specific feedback and encourage you to get in touch.

On 16 May 2025, we published a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) as our draft decision on the energy consumer reforms proposed in stage one of our review of the Energy Retail Code of Practice. The RIS outlined the options for each proposed reform that we considered and evaluated. It also outlined our preferred options for each reform based on this analysis.

We invited submissions to respond on our Engage Victoria page which closed on 26 June 2025.
 

Automatic best offer for customers experiencing payment difficulty

We are assessing options for retailers to automatically move customers experiencing payment difficulty to the deemed best offer. We are currently considering who should be eligible for this reform and how it should be implemented.

Improving the ability to switch to the best offer and access to cheaper offers

We are assessing how to make it easier for customers to move to the best offer and access cheaper plans.

Extending protections for customers on legacy contracts and those paying high prices 

We are assessing how to enhance protections for customers on older contracts paying significantly higher prices for energy and whether we should extend reforms from our 'Ensuring contracts are clear and fair' decision to contracts entered into before 1 July 2020. This would mean that all contracts would be subject to a cap on pay-on-time discounts and any contract with an existing benefit would be extended to the duration of the contract.

Improving the application of concessions on bills

We are assessing how retailers could proactively seek and obtain information about customers' concession eligibility.

Improving the awareness of independent dispute resolution services 

We are assessing if retailers should be required to include the phone number for the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria on the front page of bills.

On 30 April 2024, Powercor Australia Limited (ACN 064 651 109) applied for a licence to transmit electricity under section 18 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic). 

Consultation on the licence application closed on 14 June 2024. You can read the submissions we received and Powercor Australia Limited's response to these submissions in the Resources tab above. 

We granted the licence on 18 September 2024.