Response to draft Orders in Council on the Victorian Default Offer
This submission has been prepared by the Victorian Council of Social Service, Consumer Action Law Centre, Financial and Consumer Rights Council, Council on the Ageing Victoria, and the Victorian Public Tenants Association. We welcome consultation by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) on Draft Orders in Council to implement the Victorian Default Offer (VDO).
The VDO is a critical measure to improve energy affordability, and we welcome the Victorian Government’s leadership on this reform. The Victorian energy market is currently dysfunctional. The retail costs component of bills is the highest in the country, and average profit margins of 11 per cent are some of the highest in the world. A deliberately complex and confusing market is allowing retailers to charge people more than necessary for an essential service.