FAQs

Common questions about the complaint process can be found on the Start a complaint page.

Family violence

What family violence support is available?

Victoria Police

000 (for urgent response)

Victoria Police can respond to family violence incidents. The information sheet Family Violence: What Police do has been designed to explain Victoria Police's response to family violence. The information sheet is available in multiple languages.

Visit the Victoria Police website for more information.

1800RESPECT

1800 737 732

Confidential information, counselling and support service open 24 hours to support people impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence and abuse.

Visit the 1800RESPECT website for more information.

Safe Steps

1800 015 188

Safe Steps provide specialist support services for anyone in Victoria who is experiencing or afraid of family violence. You can contact their 24/7 phone line any time of the day or night and family violence specialists will support you to find safety from domestic abuse.

Visit the Safe Steps website for more information.

Women’s Legal Service Victoria

1800 133 302

Women’s Legal Service Victoria is a not-for-profit organisation that has been providing free legal services to women since 1982. The service works with women experiencing disadvantage to address legal issues arising from relationship breakdown or violence.

Visit the Women’s Legal Service Victoria website for more information.

WIRE

1300 134 130

WIRE stands for Women’s Information and Referral Exchange Inc, but extends its service to respond to the needs of non-binary and gender-diverse people as well.

Visit the WIRE website for more information.

Men’s Referral Service

1300 766 491

Advice for men about family violence. Available to men who have or are still behaving abusively, family members who are impacted by a man’s use abusive behaviours and friends, family or colleagues of people who may be using or experiencing family violence and wish to understand how to support their friends, family, or colleagues. Professionals wishing to support a client who is using or experiencing family violence can also use the service.

Visit the Men’s Referral Service for more information.

Tenants Victoria

Information about the protections for people affected by family violence in Victoria’s rental laws.

Visit the Tenants Victoria website for more information.

EWOV basics

What is EWOV?

The Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria) (EWOV) is a not-for-profit dispute resolution scheme that helps Victorian customers resolve complaints with their electricity, gas (including LPG) and water companies. An ombudsman is another name for an independent service that investigates and resolves complaints. We’re free to Victorian customers and we’re independent, meaning we’re not on anyone’s side. We look at the facts and circumstances of every complaint to make a fair and reasonable decision as quickly as possible.

Visit the Who we are page for more information.

What can I complain about?

Before you contact us, you must try to resolve your complaint with your company first, or attempt to contact them. If you’ve contacted your company and can’t resolve the issue, contact us about looking into your complaint.

You can start a complaint about most electricity, gas and water issues you have with your company. Complaints can be started by filling in our online form, calling us on 1800 500 509 (free call) on business days from 8.30am – 5pm, reaching us on live chat from 8.30am – 4pm on business days, emailing us at ewovinfo@ewov.com.au or faxing us on 1800 500 459 (free fax).

Most complaints are resolved within 28 days. Simple disputes can be resolved more quickly, while more complex issues can take a bit longer.

Visit the Start a complaint page for more information on the complaints we can and can’t look into.

Can I complain on behalf of someone?

Yes, if you have their permission to act on their behalf. You can make a complaint on behalf of another person, such as a client, neighbour or family member. You can also make a complaint on behalf of a business.

If you’re complaining on behalf of a family member or friend, they can authorise this over the phone.

If you’re a financial counsellor, solicitor, accountant or other advocate, we usually need your client’s written permission. They can give this by filling out an Authority to Act form.

Individuals

Businesses

Members of Parliament/Electorate Officers

Read our Fact sheet: Acting on behalf of someone else with an EWOV complaint for more information.

Is EWOV a regulator or a government body?

We’re not part of the government. We’re not a regulator. We can’t change government policy or the price of electricity, gas or water. We’re a not-for-profit independent company.

Energy and water companies that fall within our scope must become a member of EWOV. Customers of those companies can come to us for free with enquiries or complaints about those companies. The company is then charged a fee by us for dealing with those enquiries or complaints.

Visit the Who we are page for more information about EWOV and our structure.

What rules do companies follow?

In Victoria, electricity and gas retailers, and water companies, must follow energy and water legislation as well as codes and guidelines set by the Essential Services Commission. You can read about customer and company rights and responsibilities on the Essential Services Commission’s website.

The Australian Energy Regulator largely regulates electricity and gas distributors and networks, including pricing, while codes such as the Distribution Code are set by the Essential Services Commission.

Getting connected

How do I get my electricity, gas or water connected?

There are different processes for getting electricity, gas and water connected at an existing property and getting connected to supply at a new property.

You’ll need to get in touch with your companies in advance to make sure the connections happen in time for when you move in.

Visit our Connecting and transferring page for more information.

What’s the difference between a retailer and a distributor?

Retailers bill you for electricity and gas. They pay distributors to transport the electricity or gas to your property.

Distributors build and maintain the local networks of electricity poles and wires, gas pipes and other equipment to deliver electricity or gas to you. They're also responsible for reading your meter and sending retailers the meter data for billing.

Most water corporations in Victoria are both retailers and distributors — they send bills and maintain water networks.

How do I find the best energy deal?

Electricity and gas

In Victoria, you have the option to choose your electricity and gas retail providers. Victorian Energy Compare is an independent comparison tool for finding electricity and gas offers. Each electricity and gas company has different prices and incentives. You can save money by finding the best offer for you. If you change your mind, you can cancel within the ten business day cooling-off period.

You can’t choose your electricity distribution company. It’s based on where you live. Try this interactive map to find your electricity distribution company.

If you live in an embedded network, you may have limited options for electricity.

You can find a list of all the electricity and gas companies in Victoria that are members of EWOV on our website.

Visit our Connecting and transferring page for more information.

Water

You can’t choose your water company in Victoria. It’s based on where you live. Each area in Victoria has its own provider of water. Try this interactive map to find your water company.

If you’re a tenant, depending on your lease, you may not need to pay water charges. Or you may only need to pay for the usage and sewage disposal charges. If you’re unsure, ask your rental agent.

Bulk hot water

‘Bulk hot water’ is water that is centrally heated (usually by gas) and delivered to many customers in a multi-dwelling property, such as an apartment building or block of flats. Read our Bulk hot water section below for more information.

What’s a market contract?

A market contract is where you enter into a contract with the electricity or gas retail company of your choice and agree with your signature or a voice phone recording.

What’s a standard contract?

A standard contract is one where you just arrange for an electricity or natural gas connection at your property on the retail company’s standard terms.

What is the Victorian Default Offer?

The Victorian Default Offer is an electricity price set by the Essential Services Commission, not by energy companies. It provides customers access to a fair deal even if they don’t want to search for a deal. Electricity retailers must make it available to customers who request it.

What’s a pay-on-time discount?

Electricity and gas companies will sometimes offer discounts to encourage you to enter a new contract with them. Be careful to check how these discounts apply. They are usually only available when you pay your bill on time. For example, you may receive a 20% discount if you pay a quarterly electricity bill by the due date stated on the bill.

Discounts may only apply to the usage component of your bill (how much electricity or gas you used at your property) rather than the total of your bill (which includes the fixed daily service to property charge). It’s important to check this – so ask your company.

Billing

What do I do if I think my bill is wrong?

If you think your bill is wrong, contact your energy or water company to explain it.

There are many reasons that could cause an electricity, gas or water bill to be higher than you expected:

The bill could include previous amounts that weren’t paid.
The price may have increased.
The previous bills could have been based on estimates of your usage, rather than actual meter reads. This can lead to a ‘catch-up’ bill. See the FAQ section below, What’s a catch-up bill?
You may have used more energy or water than you usually do due to more time at home, hosting guests, using a new appliance or using appliances more often (sometimes due to seasonal usage).

Visit the Unexpected high bill, Delayed and catch-up bills and Billing mistakes pages for more information.

Why is my bill estimated?

If your energy or water company can’t read your meter for any reason, they may send you an estimated bill. The estimated usage will be either above or below your actual usage.

If it’s above your usage, you’ll pay more than you should and this will be corrected when you get your next bill based on an actual meter read.

If it’s below your usage, you’ll get a catch-up bill, also known as a backbill, at a later date.

Visit the Delayed and catch-up bills page for more information.

Why have my prices gone up?

Electricity and gas contracts usually allow a company to increase its prices during the contract term, after giving you written notice. It might be possible for you to exit your contract without paying an exit fee after being told about a price increase.

LPG pricing is not regulated. Generally speaking, prices are based on the volume and the international wholesale price.

What’s a catch-up bill?

Electricity, gas and water companies can send you a catch-up bill (also known as a backbill) but there are limits on how far back the bill can go. As of 1 January 2021, for electricity and gas, a company can only provide a catch-up bill to customers going back four months when the customer is not at fault, from the date the customer is told about the undercharging. You will be given equal time to pay the bill—so if the catch-up bill covers four months, you must get four months to pay that bill.

There are no limits to how far the company can go back if it's the customer’s fault that the catch-up bill was needed (for example, access to the meter was blocked by a closed gate or dog).

There are different rules if you are a business using more than 40 megawatt hours of electricity a year or 1,000 gigajoules of gas.

Water companies can backbill you for up to 12 months. As with electricity and gas companies, water companies must also give you equal time to pay.

LPG companies can bill a residential customer back for up to nine months. There’s no limit on LPG backbills for business customers.

Visit the Delayed and catch-up bills page for more information.

What’s a service to property charge?

The electricity and gas service to property charge is a fee for accessing an energy distributor's network. These fees are regulated by the Australian Energy Regulator and vary depending on where you live.

Water service charges are flat fees on each property for access to the water and sewerage systems. Service charges can also apply to vacant land not connected to the water system. In some cases, water companies don’t charge if the land isn’t connected to services and doesn’t have any buildings on it. The owner (or landlord) of a residential property pays the water service charges — not the residential tenant.

All units or apartments must pay a water service charge. If there’s only one shared meter, each separately occupied property has to pay its own water service charge. Read our Charges on water bills - metro and Charges on water bills - regional urban fact sheets for more information.

What’s a tariff?

A tariff is the price you pay for each unit of electricity, gas or water used at your property. The tariff rate may increase after you’ve reached a certain amount of energy or water used at your property. For example, an electricity tariff rate might be 14 cents/kWh for the first 400 kWh used during the billing period and then increase to 17 cents/kWh for the electricity used above this volume.

Solar tariffs are different and are explained below in What’s a feed-in tariff?

Meters

How do I read my meter?

Reading your meter can help you check your energy or water use. You’ll need to locate the meter, match the unique meter number with what’s on your bill and then read the meter display.

Electricity smart meters record consumption in half-hour blocks and you can read the meter by scrolling through the digital screen or register. Your total electricity usage, off-peak consumption and, if relevant, the amount of solar power sent back to the grid are all listed here. Most smart meters have a sticker on them, explaining what each register measures.

If your electricity bill doesn’t show cumulative readings, you can still check your account by looking at the total electricity use on your smart meter, on the day it’s scheduled to be read. This date will be on your bill. Then take the last meter reading and deduct it from that number. The result should be about the same as the usage you’re being charged for on your bill.

Gas and water meters are generally still read manually and need to be accessible for meter readers. You can simply compare the reading on your bill with that shown on your meter.

Visit the Meters, poles, wires and pipes page for more information.

Why wasn’t my meter read?

For electricity, most people in Victoria now have smart meters that are generally capable of being read remotely through a communications network. This means that meter readers no longer have to visit properties for every reading, and that most meter readings are accurate. However, occasionally there are problems with parts of the data collected from smart meters, resulting in ‘substituted’ reads that are similar to ‘estimated’ meter reads.

For gas and water, meters are still read by meter readers who visit your property. It’s important that you provide clear access to your meter so it can be read. If the meter is blocked, such as by a locked gate or a dog, a read may not be taken and your next bill will be estimated.

Visit the Meters, poles, wires and pipes page for more information.

How often is my meter read?

Most electricity smart meters are capable of being read remotely through a communications network, so that meter readers no longer have to visit your property.

Gas and water meters are still read by meter readers. Meter readers attempt to read gas meters every two months and water meters every three or four months, depending on where you live. Legally, they only have to read meters once every 12 months. If your meter is blocked, for example by a locked gate or dog, then it won’t be read.

Visit the Meters, poles, wires and pipes page for more information.

Is my meter faulty?

You can ask to have a meter tested but if it’s found to be operating correctly, you may have to pay for the test. In our experience, most tested meters are found to be operating correctly and within the Australian Standards.

You may want to try to work out whether something other than a faulty meter is causing your high bills before you ask for a meter test.

Visit the Meters, poles, wires and pipes and Unexpected high bill pages for more information.

Affordability

What happens if I can’t pay my bill?

If you’re having trouble paying a bill or if you’re experiencing ongoing financial difficulty, contact your electricity, gas or water company. Explain your situation and ask how they can help.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a one-off, an ongoing problem or you just need more time to pay, your company must help you.

Visit the Trouble paying a bill page for more information.

What financial support is available?

Concessions

Victorian Concessions Information Line: 1800 658 521

The Victorian Government offers concessions to make essential services more affordable for low-income households and to help out with bills in times of hardship.

Visit the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing website for more information.

Utility relief grants

Relief grants for paying overdue energy or water bills are available to low-income Victorians experiencing unexpected hardship.

Visit the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing website for more information.

National Debt Helpline

Consumers: 1800 007 007

Small business: 1800 413 828

Financial counselling is available from the National Debt Helpline. Financial counsellors are qualified professionals who provide information, advice and advocacy to people in financial difficulty. Their services are free, confidential, independent and non-judgmental.

Visit the National Debt Helpline website for more information.

Financial counsellors

1800 007 007

Financial counsellors are skilled professionals who will guide you through your options and help you plan your way out of debt.

Visit the National Debt Helpline website for more information.

Rural financial counsellors

1300 771 741

RFCS providers support farmers, fishing enterprises, forestry growers and small rural-related businesses with planning and assistance in times of need.

Visit the Rural Financial Counselling Network website for more information.

Community Information & Support VIC

Community Information & Support Victoria (CISVic) is the peak body representing local community information and support services. CISVic assists people experiencing personal and financial difficulties by providing information, referral and support services including Emergency Relief.

Visit the CISVic website for more information.

Ask Izzy

Ask Izzy is a website that connects people in need with housing, a meal, money help, family violence support, counselling and much more. It is free and anonymous, with over 370,000 services listed across Australia. And if you're on the Telstra or Vodafone mobile networks, you can access Ask Izzy on your phone even if you don't have credit or access to wifi.

Visit the Ask Izzy website for more information.

The Salvation Army Crisis Service

The CRIS (Crisis Referral Information System) Online Directory contains information on a large number of Victorian community-based support services and other organisations. CRIS aims is to provide a broad range of information for people seeking welfare assistance, advice and general referral and support.

Visit the Crisis Referral Information System website for more information.

Why have I been disconnected?

Your electricity or gas may be disconnected or your LPG deliveries stopped or your water flow restricted by your company. This is usually because of debt but it can be for other reasons.

There are rules companies must follow. Visit the Disconnection and restriction page for more information.

Can I get compensation for a disconnection?

There are rules electricity, gas and water companies must follow when disconnecting or restricting your supply. If your company disconnects or restricts your supply without following these rules, they may have to pay you a Wrongful Disconnection Payment (WDP) for electricity and gas or a Guaranteed Service Level (GSL) payment for water.

Visit the Disconnection and restriction page for more information.

Can my power be disconnected if I’m on life support?

Life support equipment is used by customers with certain medical conditions to maintain their health and safety. Examples include oxygen concentrators and kidney dialysis machines.

If you require energy to power life support equipment, contact your company to inform them that you use life support equipment.

There are rules energy companies need to follow. Visit the Disconnection and restriction page for more information.

Why have I been credit default listed?

If you have a debt that you don't pay, your electricity, gas or water company might list a default on your credit file. It can also sell your debt to a debt collector.

There are rules companies need to follow. Visit the Debt collection and credit default listing page for more information.

How do I get a copy of my credit report?

There are credit reporting bodies in Australia. The three main bodies are Equifax, Dun & Bradstreet and Experian. Contact one of these companies to ask for your credit report.

You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year, if you’ve been refused credit in the last 90 days or if you’re asking for your file to be corrected.

Visit the Debt collection and credit default listing page for more information.

How do I fix my credit report?

If you think there has been a mistake, call your company and explain the issue. They must discuss what has happened, even if they’ve already sold or default listed the debt. Keep a record of who you spoke to and what they agreed to do and when. You should also keep copies of any letters, emails or text messages.

Visit the Debt collection and credit default listing page for more information.

How can I use less energy and water?

Using less electricity, gas and water can lower your bills. If you’re finding it difficult to pay your bill and understand your energy or water use, your company can offer you a free energy or water audit. This might be done over the phone or, with your agreement, at your home.

Heating units, air conditioners, fridges, clothes dryers and hot water systems are home appliances that typically use the most energy. It’s important to check these appliances are working properly and are being used efficiently.

Visit the Sustainability Victoria website for energy saving tips.

Outages and compensation

What’s a planned outage?

Sometimes, electricity, gas and water companies need to undertake planned works on their network (such as poles, wires, pipes, meters, transformers, substations, pits) to maintain a safe and reliable supply. They need to tell customers in writing about a planned supply outage, including details of when it will happen and how long it will last.

Also, to protect the electricity grid, sometimes electricity distributors ‘load shed’. Load shedding means that customers are disconnected for a short period of time to reduce demand on the electricity grid. This helps prevent blackouts and supply outages. Load shedding usually happens on very hot days when the electricity grid is under pressure.

Visit the Outages and power surges page for more information.

Can I get compensation for a power outage?

Although outages are inconvenient, electricity distributors usually don’t offer compensation for them. If you experience many outages or were off-supply for a long time, you might receive a Guaranteed Service Level (GSL) payment in recognition of poor service. If you qualify, the GSL payment is made automatically (you don't have to apply for it).

Where the power outage was outside the control of the distributor (such as due to a bushfire or storm) the distributor may be exempt from paying a GSL.

If your damage or loss is more than the GSL amount, you can lodge a compensation claim with your distributor. Your distributor will assess whether compensation is payable or not.

Visit the Outages and power surges page for more information.

Can I get compensation for an electricity surge?

Low voltage or high voltage incidents are called unauthorised voltage variations. Where there's an unauthorised voltage variation and you experience loss or damage as a result, you may be able to claim compensation from your electricity distributor.

Contact your distribution company and ask for a compensation claim form. You’ll need evidence to support your claim, so keep records such as receipts and photos.

Visit the Outages and power surges page for more information.

Can I get compensation for gas and water supply problems?

Guaranteed Service Levels (GSL) apply for gas and for most water companies. There are no GSLs for LPG.

If your damage is more than the GSL amount, you can lodge a compensation claim with your distributor. Your distributor will assess whether compensation is payable or not.

Visit the Outages and power surges page for more information.

Solar power

How do I switch to solar?

Switching to solar can be a considerable investment, so it’s important to research the costs and benefits of going solar. Consumer Affairs Victoria and Solar Victoria have some useful information to help you make the best choice.

Once you have been through the approval process and have signed a contract for your solar system, you’re locked in. So it’s important to be informed and make the right choice for you. Make sure that you compare products and quotes offered by different solar companies and confirm that they are Clean Energy Council accredited.