Regulator proposes new rules to better protect life support customers
Essential Services Commission
The Essential Services Commission is reviewing the Victorian energy rules, to improve how energy businesses register energy customers who rely on life support equipment.
The proposed changes aim to improve the accuracy of life support registers. Accurate life support registers help emergency services focus their efforts on those needing critical help during major power outages.
The review proposes:
- New definitions to distinguish between critical and assistive life-support equipment, helping direct support to those who need it most during emergencies.
- Improving the accuracy of energy businesses’ life-support registers by introducing four-yearly medical confirmation and mandatory deregistration.
- Improving how life-support customers are contacted during planned and unplanned electricity outages.
- A standard medical confirmation form for energy retailers and distributors, for consistent collection of life-support customers’ information.
The Victorian energy rules require energy retailers, distributors and exempt sellers to keep a register of customers who rely on life-support equipment. The register is also given to emergency services during major power outages (such as during extreme weather events).
Customers relying on life support equipment also receive information to help them prepare for energy outages, and cannot be disconnected due to unpaid bills.
The Victorian life-support customers’ protections review addresses changes proposed in the 2022 Electricity Distribution Network Resilience Review and the 2024 Network Outage Review, following major unplanned power outages across Victoria. It also builds on changes to the National Energy Retail Rules proposed to the Australian Energy Market Commission in response to The Energy Charter’s #BetterTogether initiatives.
The commission is working closely with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and the Australian Energy Market Commission to ensure consistency across jurisdictions.
Feedback on the proposed reforms can be submitted through Engage Victoria. The consultation will be open between 31 July 2025 and 4 September 2025.
Further information can be found on the Essential Services Website. esc.vic.gov.au
Quotes attributable to Gerard Brody, Chairperson, Essential Services Commission.
“A reliable energy supply is critical for Victorians who rely on life-support equipment in their homes. Our proposed reforms will improve the accuracy and efficiency of energy businesses’ life-support registers, so that information and assistance can be provided to those who need it most.”
“This is particularly important during extreme weather events and emergencies. Emergency services can direct their limited resources more effectively when they can prioritise residents who have critical life-support needs.”
Contact details:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (+61) 437 677 385