Record customer redress included $130 million for water bills
Victorian customer redress reached a record $131 million in 2025-26, with most of it tied to a $130 million remediation package for Greater Western Water customers after billing failures.
The Essential Services Commission said the total included credits, debt waivers and other redress from energy and water businesses. It also secured about $1.2 million in credits and debt waivers from EnergyAustralia following alleged failures to inform customers of their payment assistance entitlements.
Five businesses were issued significant penalties for major alleged breaches of Victoria’s energy laws. They included a $1.2 million fine for ENGIE over failures to respond to customer complaints about billing issues in a timely way, more than $1 million for EnergyAustralia for providing incorrect information about its energy plans, and more than $700,000 for Momentum Energy over failures affecting customers impacted by family violence.
Separately, the commission commenced civil proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria against ENGIE, alleging broader customer support failures.
Essential Services Commission Chairperson and Commissioner Gerard Brody said, “We’re cutting unnecessary red tape and making rules clearer to help businesses comply, while consumers remain protected. We’re also monitoring compliance and taking more enforcement action than ever, to put consumers first and hold businesses to account for harmful conduct.”
VEU compliance crackdown
The commission also stepped up checks in the Victorian Energy Upgrades programme, with thousands of post-installation compliance checks including inspections and consumer phone audits. That led to enforcement action against 18 accredited businesses, while more remain under investigation.
Action in the programme included ordering businesses to forfeit $15.7 million in energy efficiency certificates and cancelling the accreditation of 10 businesses. A VEU accredited business was also required to rectify non-compliant water heater installations at its own cost.
The regulator said it also changed Victoria’s energy rules in 2025-26 to provide greater support for customers struggling to pay bills and improve transparency of offers. It is now working on a further stage of reforms focused on protections for Victorians experiencing vulnerability and outcomes for First Nations energy customers.
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Last updated: 29 July 2026, 10:34 am
