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Overview
COTA Victoria and Seniors Rights Victoria welcome the latest set of Essential Services Commission (ESC) proposals to strengthen protections for Victorian energy consumers through the Energy Retail Code of Practice.
Our responses to selected questions raised in the consultation paper below are based on our insights and previous research into challenges faced by vulnerable older people in the energy market. These challenges relate primarily to:
- The financial hardship experienced by a growing number of older Victorians left without secure retirement incomes.
- The exposure of many older Victorians to various forms of elder abuse (including financial abuse) as a prevalent form of family violence.
- The significantly higher levels of digital exclusion in the older population and their risk of being left behind in technology change and the energy transition.