Executive summary On a daily basis, community-based financial counsellors deal with electricity and gas providers on behalf of customers who are struggling financially, and witness firsthand the efficacy or otherwise of hardship practices across different industries. The 2014 Rank the Energy Retailer survey provided an opportunity for Victorian financial counsellors to rank the policies and...

Executive summary The Financial and Consumer Rights Council (FCRC) seeks to provide a voice for Victorian consumers of essential services, in particular customers affected by fuel poverty. Fuel poverty affects consumers who experience periods where they are unable to pay their utility bills and hence face the risk of accumulating debt and/or having essential services...