Essential Services

A world some people can access money-saving tech and others can't is a world of growing inequality.

Community organisations play such an important role for our communities during emergencies.

New, clean energy is non-negotiable if we’re going to prevent the worst of climate change and reduce power bills over

One of Victoria's most impoverished and marginalised groups is currently denied utility concessions.

Shopping around can reduce your power bill, but Victorians shouldn’t be left to navigate this jungle alone. The government should

The Latrobe Valley is again steeling itself for a fight. They’re a resilient bunch, but they can’t do it on

Low-income earners tend to live in areas or conditions more likely to be adversely affected by climate change, and have

The 2016 Victorian Budget projects substantial surpluses over the next four years. This is driven by revenue rising faster than expenditure

A new VCOSS report, Making energy visible, explains how in-home display units can help people lower their energy costs, and

An update on the 2015 Hardship Inquiry In February 2015, the Victorian Government directed the Essential Services Commission (ESC), regulator

Consumer Action released a report, Heat or Eat, in August this year, detailing the experience of six Victorians who have

A worrying 36 per cent increase in energy and water disconnections shows the need for reform of retailers’ response to

Low-income Victorian households need a hardship framework that ensures people are not unfairly disconnected from essential services, along with new

Energy supply is a basic household need. People’s lighting, refrigeration, communications, cooking, heating and cooling facilities all rely on it.

A low-income energy efficiency program that complements and works with the VEET scheme, in addition to other measures within VEET,

With the federal government having axed the longstanding National Partnership Agreement on Concessions, VCOSS welcomes the state government’s decision to

Moves by the Victorian Government to stop energy retailers from being able to vary prices midway through fixed-term contracts or

Victorian energy retailers are breaching customer protections and wrongfully disconnecting people from their essential energy supplies at a growing and

Figures in the most recent volume of the Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services show that cost is already causing