Consumer rights under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program

With the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program, you can access discounted energy-efficient products and save on your energy bills.

The VEU program is a voluntary Victorian Government initiative that provides incentives for Victorians to make energy-efficient improvements to their homes and businesses. This helps cut power bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the VEU Code of Conduct, those conducing marketing activities for the VEU program must offer consumers a copy of this factsheet which sets out their consumer rights under the program. This factsheet is also referred to as the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) scheme factsheet under the VEU Code of Conduct.

Eligibility

Every Victorian household and business can take part in the program and access discounted energy-efficient products and services.

Your participation is voluntary.

To find an available product or accredited provider

Go to www.victorianenergyupgrades.vic.gov.au Call the VEU helpdesk on (03) 9032 1310

Deaf, hearing or speech impaired? Please contact the National Relay Service on 133 677 or www.relayservice.gov.au

Your rights under the VEU program

The VEU program has a Code of Conduct setting out minimum standards of behaviour aimed at protecting consumers. This applies to everyone involved in delivering or marketing upgrades.

Banning telemarketing and doorknocking

Unsolicited telemarketing under the VEU program is banned from 1 May 2024, and doorknocking is banned from 1 August 2024.

Under the bans, phone calls and doorknocking are not allowed to market or promote upgrades unless you provide prior consent. Calls are allowed for other purposes, including to notify a consumer of a product recall or fault, or to book an appointment for an upgrade.

If you receive a phone call or visit without your consent after the bans come into effect, please report this to the Essential Services Commission via phone at (03) 9032 1310 or by email at [email protected].

Please note as much detail as you can, such as the name of the business, the time and date of the call and what was being marketed.

Marketing activities

A person or business who contacts you about the VEU program must:

• not call you on the phone or visit you at your house without prior consent
• not use high-pressure tactics to sell or market products or services
• only market/sell upgrades to you if you are over 18 years and able to understand the information provided
• explain that the program is voluntary and you do not have to take part
• tell you the name of the business they work for
• for in-person marketing, always wear an identification card that includes a photo, their full name, contact details, ABN, and main contractor details
• provide accurate information about the goods or services being provided, including the suitability for their purpose
• comply with spam laws if sending marketing emails or SMS, including getting consent, making it easy to unsubscribe and identifying the provider or business in the message
• not say things that are false or deceptive – for example, they cannot say they work for the Victorian Government or the Essential Services Commission, or that the Victorian Government provides private contact information (such as phone numbers) for marketing purposes.

Contracts

A person or business who offers you a contract for an activity under the VEU program must:

• only enter into a contract with someone who is 18 years or older
• make sure they tell you about any work to be done and you understand this before the work is started
• give you information about your rights and obligations under VEU program, as well as the upgrade they are offering and a contract. The contract should detail the product/service, a quote and any additional fees, decommissioning procedures, and cooling-off periods
• tell you who is installing the upgrade if you choose to go ahead with a product or service
• provide a phone number for you to contact the person or company installing the upgrade.

Undertaking work

A person or business who starts work on an activity under the VEU program at your house or business must:

• only start work once you have given your consent
• only start work if they have notified you about the details of the job. This might include the time and date, product/service to be installed, and

information of the person undertaking the activity, such as their accredited provider and contact details

• leave the premises if no person who is 18 years of age or older is present
• once the job has been completed, give you their contact details so you can contact them if required
• give you dispute resolution information and any instructions and warranty information for product/services installed.

Want to talk to us about the VEU program?

• Please contact the Essential Services Commission by calling (03) 9032 1310 or emailing [email protected] for your queries and VEU-related complaints, including banned telemarketing and doorknocking practices.
• If you have other general questions relating to the VEU program, please contact the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action VEU program team at [email protected].
• Where else to go for assistance with your rights as a consumer? Please contact Consumer Affairs Victoria. Visit www.consumer.vic.gov.au/contact-us or call 131 450.

© The State of Victoria Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action April 2024.

Creative Commons

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence, visit the Creative Commons website (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

ISBN 978-1-76136-716-8 (Print)

ISBN 978-1-76136-717-5 (pdf/online/MS word)

Disclaimer: This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.

Accessibility: To receive this document in an alternative format, phone the Customer Service Centre on 136 186, email [email protected], or contact National Relay Service on 133 677. Available at DEECA website (www.deeca.vic.gov.au).