Business banned from energy efficiency program for advertising services while suspended
Essential Services Commission
The Essential Services Commission has cancelled the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) accreditation of A.K. Alvi Enterprises Pty Ltd (A.K. Alvi) for allegedly continuing to advertise energy upgrades as an accredited business while suspended from the program.
A.K. Alvi is disqualified from reapplying for VEU accreditation for five years.
The VEU program is an energy efficiency program that helps Victorians cut their energy bills by supporting households and businesses to use energy more efficiently. Accredited businesses undertake energy efficiency upgrades that entitle them to create Victorian energy efficiency certificates, which they can then sell.
The commission initially suspended A.K. Alvi from the VEU program in August 2025 for allegedly falsified claims, including manipulating photos to claim additional certificates. The commission also refused registration of 200 Victorian energy efficient certificates, valued at $19,200*, and required the business to have its quality assurance processes independently audited.
During the suspension period, A.K. Alvi – trading as Zerowatt at the time – was banned from creating certificates for any type of energy efficiency work under the VEU program.
The commission alleges that A.K. Alvi:
- continued advertising energy upgrades under a different trading name – CarbonGreens – during the suspension period, falsely representing the business as accredited under the VEU program
- failed to remove the false representations despite multiple notifications and requests by the commission.
The commission immediately suspended A.K. Alvi from the program for a second time in February 2026 to allow for further investigation.
The commission has now:
- cancelled A.K. Alvi’s VEU accreditation
- disqualified A.K. Alvi from reapplying for VEU accreditation for five years.
*Figure calculated using the certificate value of $96, the spot price on 25 August 2025.
Quotes attributable to Essential Services Commission Chairperson and Commissioner Gerard Brody
“Falsifying evidence to claim upgrades that never occurred is a serious breach of the VEU rules, as it undermines the integrity of the program.”
“When the commission suspended A.K. Alvi for this conduct in August 2025, it had a chance to implement safeguards to ensure its failings didn’t happen again. Instead, they advertised VEU services under a different name while suspended.”
“Victorians should be able to trust that businesses advertising energy upgrades under the VEU program are properly accredited and acting honestly. That’s why we have now banned A.K. Alvi from the program.”
Contact details:
0437 677 385