Background
1. Victoria’s privatised utilities
The Essential Services Commission was established by the Victorian Government in 2001 as Victoria’s independent economic regulator of prescribed essential utility services supplied by the electricity, gas, and water suppliers. The aim of the Commission is to protect the Victorian community’s interest in the supply of these essential services.
1.1 Gas and Electricity
In 2002 householders were able to choose both gas and electricity retailers from a number of retailers licensed to sell gas and electricity in Victoria.
The Essential Services Commission was set up to ensure that competition between these retailers is fair and that customers will be protected by minimum standards of service and conduct. Competition between retailers means that customers can choose pricing and service packages from among the retailers. The Commission’s website offers consumers a calculator to estimate the difference between their current service and another product.
1.2 Water
In 2004 the Essential Services Commission became the economic regulator of the Victorian water sector. The sector comprises 22 water authorities providing bulk and retail water and waste water services to all of Victoria's urban and rural irrigation customers. Like its role with gas and electricity the Essential Services Commission’s role in water supply covers regulation of prices, service standards and market conduct.
2. Consumer protection in this new privatised market
There is a range of places where consumers can seek information about their rights.
2.1 The first is the Essential Services Commission, one of whose aims is to protect communities’ interests in the supply of essential services.
2.2 The Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) (EWOV) has been established as an independent body to resolve individual service and billing complaints.
2.3 The Victorian Energy Retail Code is designed to set the standards of service consumers may expect from their energy retailers. This includes the right to be supplied with energy, the timeframes in which connections should occur and procedures to on hardship and payment difficulties.
2.4 Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) has the power to prosecute a trader where there is evidence of a breach of fair trading laws.
2.5 CUAC (www.cuac.org.au) is an independent consumer advocacy organisation which ensures the interests of Victorian electricity, gas and water consumers - especially low income, disadvantaged, rural and regional, and Indigenous consumers - are effectively represented in the policy and regulatory debate.
CUAC:
- provides a voice for, and strengthens the input of, Victorian utility consumers - particularly low income, disadvantaged, and rural and regional consumers - in the policy and regulatory debate
- initiates and supports research into issues of concern to Victorian utility consumers, through in-house research and building the capacity of consumers through its Grants Program
- investigates and responds to systemic issues affecting Victorian consumers in the competitive electricity and gas markets and with regard to water.
The CUAC website also provides links to the research on consumer utilities issues that CUAC has undertaken or funded through its Grants Program.
