AIMS & OBJECTIVES
·
Act as a monitor for
the public interest;
·
Advocate the energy and
water needs of domestic and small business users, with emphasis on low income
households;
·
Advocate for a
stronger, more meaningful, open and accountable regulatory system;
·
Advocate for real
consumer participation in the regulatory system;
·
Promote environmentally
sustainable solutions to energy problems
HISTORY
A group concerned about the energy needs of
low income people starting meeting at the Victorian Council of Social Service
(VCOSS) in the mid to late 1970s. This occurred in response to the poor
customer practices of the former State Electricity Commission of Victoria
(SECV). This group became the SEC Action Group in 1977 after receiving a
seeding grant from the VCOSS. The primary mission of the organisation at this
point was to see a prohibition on disconnection on the basis of inability to
pay. Shortly after the members decided that it needed to include gas as a part
of its activities, and changed the name of the organisation to the Energy
Action Group. The former SEC and Gas and Fuel Corporation (GFC) were frequently
embarrassed by the exposure they received as a result of the EAG’s activities.
The group received state government
recurrent funding in 1982. For the next years the EAG was able to handle
customer complaints, advise Government and non-government organisations, and of
course deal directly with the SECV and GFC. EAG was involved in the
establishment of the initial customer charter, through the Domestic Energy
Consumers’ Consultative committee that operated in the late 1980s and early
1990s. EAG had significant input into the development of state concessions and
design of bills,. making the bills easier to understand and more meaningful.
The use of security deposits was curtailed. A Home Energy Advisory Scheme was
established to advise households on how to conserve and manage their energy
consumption.
One of the finest achievements of the
organisation in this time was to broker an agreement with the SECV and GFC to
have 50,000 instantaneous hot water services removed and replaced at no cost to
the customer or landlord with gas units. Unfortunately, this deal was rejected
by the incoming Kennett Government in 1992.
In 1993 the Energy Action Group was
de-funded by the State Coalition Government. Since that time it has relied on
membership, donations and small grants and consulting fees. The focus has been
on addressing the issues that arise out of the restructuring of the electricity
and gas industries. Much effort as been concentrated on the regulatory regimes.