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The Ombudsman's view
"The key driver of increased complaints however has been the transition of one of our water members to a new billing system"
With the Federal election now behind us, energy affordability and policy remain front and centre in national discussions, and this is strongly reflected in what we’re hearing from the community. In the first quarter of 2025, case volumes rose by 9% compared to the same period last year and are up 5% for the financial year to date. These figures highlight the continued pressures many Victorians are experiencing in relation to cost-of-living challenges.
I am particularly concerned at the higher volume of credit-related cases, especially those involving disconnection. These cases are a reflection of the ongoing affordability challenges faced by many households and the consequences that occur when consumers are not adequately supported to access assistance under the payment difficulty framework. Timely, effective engagement remains critical to helping consumers manage debt and avoid harm.
Encouragingly, energy-related complaints have declined overall, particularly in relation to electricity and gas billing. We acknowledge the efforts of several major energy retailers and distributors who have worked to improve their billing practices, which are likely contributing to this positive trend.
The key driver of increased complaints, however, has been the transition of one of our water members to a new billing system, which has resulted in sustained high volumes of water-related cases and overall increase in case volumes. Consumers have reported issues with billing delays, back bills and direct debit processes, as well as ongoing challenges with contacting customer support. We continue to engage with the provider, emphasising the need for clear communication with consumers about what is owed, when payment is due, options for payment methods and ensuring accessible support options, including payment plans and extensions.
We are also seeing emerging issues linked to the energy transition. In particular, there has been a rise in complaints from consumers who have installed solar systems but are experiencing delays with connecting to the grid for export. While we know many of these issues are due to challenges for industry with implementing backend systems to support the emergency backstop mechanism, they have exposed gaps in communication with consumers and challenges of expectation management.
Our experience continues to show that the best consumer outcomes are achieved when distributors communicate clearly about timeframes and responsibilities for backend systems, and keep consumers informed at each step. As more Victorians engage with a rapidly evolving energy market, direct and effective communication from distributors will be key.
Following the February 2024 storm event and subsequent outage review, we have observed improvements in distributor communication and engagement. We encourage the sector to build on this progress and embed these practices into ongoing operations. Doing so will lead to stronger relationships with consumers, better outcomes and reduced need for escalation to EWOV.
Finally, it was my pleasure recently to share the news that Simon Cordon has been appointed as the new chair of EWOV Limited. Simon brings considerable expertise in governance and leadership, and his appointment marks an exciting new chapter for EWOV. With the appointment of Simon, we farewell outgoing Chair Paul Sheahan AM and I would like to sincerely thank Paul for his invaluable contribution to EWOV’s evolution and success.
Read on for more detail in the latest edition of Reflect. As always, you can find more data relating to our casework in the Data Hub.
