Complaints about energy and water issues in Victoria remained high in the 2024/2025 financial year, reflecting both emerging and persistent pressures in the community, from cost of living concerns and the impacts of changes at energy and water providers, to consumer experiences with new technologies.
EWOV received 19,529 cases in 2024/2025, an increase of 4% compared with the previous financial year.
Water cases increased by 122%.
Billing cases increased by 11% and Provision cases (connection of a property to an energy or water network) increased by 18%.
More consumers escalated their complaint, resulting in a 32% increase in Investigations
EWOV's 2025 Annual Report, released today, features case data and trends that highlight the strongest drivers of energy and water complaints in Victoria. Consumer stories in the report expose some of the key and emerging challenges Victorians face, from billing delays and associated financial pressures, to problems with solar installation and charges.
The report also explores some of the other important work of the Ombudsman, such as drawing attention to systemic issues, and contributing to policy and regulatory change.
The 2025 Annual Report is available at ewov.com.au, along with interactive data visualisations and case data on individual energy and water companies.
Quotes attributable to Catherine Wolthuizen, Energy and Water Ombudsman (Victoria)
"Demand for EWOV's services remained high in the 2024/2025 financial year. EWOV received 19,529 cases, an increase of 4% compared to the previous year. Billing remained the most common issue, reflecting the real financial pressures Victorians face. Notably, water cases increased by 122%, driven by the impacts of a change in the billing system at one water provider and the downstream impacts on its customers."
"At the heart of every case is a Victorian navigating a complex and changing market. Some businesses are providing the help we would expect, but others have fallen short. We have seen large numbers of complaints from their customers, many of whom have had to persist with their complaint to get a satisfactory resolution.
"The 32% year-on-year rise in investigations reflects missed opportunities by some businesses to understand and respond to their customers' needs and expectations. We will continue working with businesses to raise standards and improve customer outcomes to support access to essential services and trust in the energy and water sectors.
"Victoria is undergoing a period of rapid change in energy and water markets. As change accelerates, EWOV remains committed to helping to make sure fairness, transparency and consumer protection are at the heart of the transition. We continue to share our unique insights into consumer experiences and analyse our cases for potential systemic issues, to shape debate and ongoing reforms in the industry."
"As markets evolve, consumer protections must evolve with them. New products and services are entering the market and consumers are grappling with added complexity in the system. We made several submissions to government and regulators in 2024/2025, playing our part in highlighting consumer experiences and the importance of putting people at the centre of the reform agenda."
Background information
EWOV is a free and independent service that resolves disputes between Victorian consumers and energy and water companies. We work to ensure fair and reasonable outcomes when energy and water problems arise between customers and their providers.
We also use our unique data insights about consumers' experiences of the Victorian energy and water markets to improve consumer and market outcomes, through our engagement with businesses, government, regulators and the wider community.
