At the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria, we help make energy and water services better for everyone.
Since 1996, we are proud to have resolved hundreds of thousands of disputes between Victorians and their providers.
Thirty years on, we are having a substantial impact on the broader energy and water industry, and helping improve outcomes for all consumers, even if they don't know about our service.
Our complaint handling model makes this possible, combining decades of experience with a consistent approach that targets both individual cases and systemic issues.
Every case is fairly considered, our decisions are grounded in evidence and transparent principles, delivering clarity, consistency and trust.
For consumers, this means confidence and knowledge that outcomes are fair, and their complaints will help drive wider improvements.
For energy and water companies, it means clear expectations and consistent outcomes, and they can improve their processes to prevent future complaints.
For our people, it means purpose. They know they can make a real difference across the industry.
So, what does our complaint handling model look like in practice?
Let's focus in on investigations.
This is Sarah.
Sarah cares about making a real difference for energy and water consumers, and she wants energy and water services to improve for all Victorians.
She knows that staying independent and focusing on fair, consistent outcomes is essential, and that her role isn't about pleasing everyone. It's about helping parties resolve their complaints and communicating clearly.
Sarah works within a structured, supported, and integrated model.
When reviewing complaints, she engages with consumers and providers while operating independently.
Sarah investigates issues and makes recommendations tailored to each consumer's individual circumstances and support needs within a transparent framework, informed by clear principles and reasoning.
She feels confident in her decisions and supported in her actions.
And providers recognise the consistency of EWOV's decisions and trust the assessments Sarah and her team are making.
Sarah's cases are transformed into data-driven insights and used by colleagues at EWOV to inform policy consultations, systemic investigations, and industry, government, and regulator decision making, helping to drive lasting change, change that benefits all consumers, even those who never reached out to EWOV.
We remain committed to helping make energy and water services work for all Victorians, and the way we work helps us deliver on that with a model designed to build trust, drive accountability and create a fairer system for all.