Submission to the Australian Energy Regulator’s Review of payment difficulty protections in the NECF
We welcome the opportunity to provide a submission to the Australian Energy Regulator’s Review of payment difficulty protections in the NECF.
Our submission is informed by what our members have told us about the needs and experiences of vulnerable clients within the Victorian energy market. We give special thanks to the members of the FCVic Utilities Working Group for sharing their expertise, experience with the most vulnerable consumers, and recommendations for regulating essential services and ensuring that they are fair for all.
We note that the Victorian energy market operates under a different set of state-based consumer protections rather than the NECF, and as such, the context of our commentary and recommendations is most relevant to Victorian experiences through the Victorian Payment Difficulty Framework rather than national experiences.
However, we understand that consumer experiences of high energy costs and poor hardship practices are universal. Our submission is written to support opportunities to ensure that nationally and consistently, consumer interactions with the energy market are improved and the most vulnerable consumers are protected.