Skip to main content
ALERT

Greater Western Water billing issues may have affected you. Click for more information or to raise a complaint.

1800 500 509
Start a complaint Start a complaint
1800 500 509
Common complaints

Last updated: 20 Dec 2024

EWOV for MPs

Information for Victorian Members of Parliament and Electorate Officers.

On this page:

An industry-based scheme

EWOV is an independent industry-based dispute resolution scheme. We are approved by the independent economic regulator, the Essential Services Commission of Victoria. We assist Victorian consumers to resolve complaints with their energy and water companies. We can also hear some complaints about privacy made against energy and water providers.

Unlike statutory Ombudsmen, we do not receive any funding from government. Instead, EWOV charges the energy companies and water corporations for the complaints we handle.

This provides an incentive for the energy companies and water corporations to directly settle complaints within their companies.

EWOV's approach to handling complaints for Victorian energy and water consumers

The first step in EWOV’s process when receiving a complaint from a Victorian consumer is to refer them back to the energy or water company to give the parties one final opportunity to resolve the issues in dispute among themselves. This is called the referral stage. There are clear timeframes for resolution of disputes at the referral stage and EWOV follows up with consumers to make sure that they are happy with the outcome with their provider.

If the dispute does not resolve at the referral stage, EWOV will progress the complaint to investigation. At investigation, the investigator will consider whether the issues can be resolved by conciliation or whether to proceed to make an assessment about what a fair and reasonable outcome would be for the parties. This Assessment is called a Fair and Reasonable Assessment.

If the parties do not accept the Fair and Reasonable Assessment, EWOV can consider making a Recommendation in a complaint. After a Recommendation, the final step in the process is an Ombudsman decision which is binding on both parties if the consumer accepts the Ombudsman’s decision.

The stages of our complaint handling process are outlined on our Start a complaint page ewov.com.au/start-a-complaint.

Tips for resolving complaints

Your constituent may wish to take the following steps before contacting their energy and water provider, or contacting EWOV about their issue:

  • the supply point (their address)
  • details of any disputed bills
  • when and who they previously spoke with at the energy and water provider
  • what outcome they are seeking or what action they want the energy or water provider to take to resolve their issues.

Relevant Victorian laws and codes

The Essential Services Commission is the economic regulator for the price, quality and reliability of essential services, including energy and water.

The Commission has published Codes and industry standards which set out the rights and responsibilities of energy and water providers in Victoria which may be relevant to the issues experienced by your constituent, among others. Most of these are available on the Victorian Essential Services Commission’s website (esc.vic.gov.au) and include:

You can also phone EWOV on 1800 500 509 for more information.

EWOV is not a government agency. EWOV is an impartial industry-based consumer dispute resolution scheme. If your constituent wants your help in dealing with us, they will need to complete an Authority form for you to act on their behalf (ewov.com.au/uploads/main/authority-to-act-mps.pdf).

Getting an Authority to do things

We require an Authority whenever a third party acts for a consumer. We have a specific Authority form for Members of Parliament and Electorate Officers ewov.com.au/uploads/main/authority-to-act-mps.pdf

By ticking a box or boxes on the Authority form, the consumer can authorise you to do one or both of the following:

  • provide us with initial complaint details, or
  • act on their behalf (“in the shoes of the complainant”), with full authority to make decisions, in relation to their complaint.

You can also refer a constituent to us to assist them with their complaint.

How to get a copy of the Authority form

It’s on our website (ewov.com.au/uploads/main/authority-to-act-mps.pdf). You can also phone us on 1800 500 509 and we can email or fax it to you.

What if your constituent is unhappy about our services?

Your constituent can find our Compliments and Complaints policy on this page: ewov.com.au/about-us/feedback which has information about how to raise a Complaint about EWOV.

Other dispute resolution services

We can assist with electricity, gas (including LPG) and water complaints in Victoria. This includes some complaints about privacy relating to energy and water members.

Other dispute resolution services can assist with other types of complaint issues that constituents may raise. You may wish to recommend to your constituent that they attempt to speak to the relevant company or government agency about their complaint first if appropriate to do so.

Communications

  • Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman 1800 062 058 or tio.com.au

Financial services (banking, brokers, credit, insurance, superannuation)

  • Australian Financial Complaints Authority 1800 931 678 or afca.org.au

Government departments and agencies

  • Commonwealth Ombudsman (e.g. immigration, taxation, Centrelink) 1300 362 072 or ombudsman.gov.au

Other consumer issues