Momentum Energy Pty Ltd has paid penalty notices totalling $764,380 for failing to uphold critical protections for customers affected by family violence.
Victoria has some of the nation's strongest protections for utility customers affected by family violence. They prohibit retailers from disclosing the customer's information without consent and require them to consider the potential impact of debt recovery.
The Essential Services Commission alleges Momentum:
- disclosed, or provided access to, the confidential information of three family violence affected customers on 19 occasions, including providing a perpetrator with the current residential address of victim-survivors 15 times
- failed to identify and implement a safe method of communication with a customer it had already identified as being affected by family violence.
The commission's investigation found Momentum's hardship program automatically sent correspondence about payment assistance to addresses linked to the closed accounts of customers affected by family violence. These addresses were controlled by or accessible to the perpetrators of that violence.
Additionally, in 2022, a customer disclosed to Momentum that they were a victim-survivor of family violence. After the disclosure was made, Momentum allegedly failed to ask for a safe method of communication or confirm whether existing communication methods that were recorded on their account were safe.
Momentum identified the alleged conduct in 2023, after the customer raised that multiple letters had been sent to a Post Office box which had not been in their control for two years. Despite being raised to the relevant team leader at the time, Momentum could not provide evidence that this conduct was addressed or investigated.
It was not until the customer raised that the letters were still being sent to the same PO box in 2025 that the alleged conduct was investigated by Momentum and reported to the commission.
The alleged breaches took place between 4 May 2022 and 2 January 2025.
The commission will take enforcement action where system failures undermine integrity and trust in essential services. It also works with experts, including people with lived experience, to deliver resources for energy and water businesses to strengthen protections against family violence.
Quotes attributable to Essential Services Commission Chairperson and Commissioner Gerard Brody
"Momentum was alerted to a serious family violence breach in 2023 and had the opportunity to investigate the issue, address its underlying cause, and prevent a recurrence. The matter wasn't investigated until two years later, which is unacceptable."
"When a victim-survivor discloses family violence to their retailer, they are placing their trust in that business. They should feel confident that doing so will help keep them safe. Our action today reinforces that expectation."
"Family violence remains an urgent issue for Victorians that the commission will continue to focus on. We recently released an updated handbook to help water and energy businesses respond to family violence, which was informed by victim-survivors."
