ReAmped Energy enters court enforceable undertaking for ‘best offer’ failures

The Essential Services Commission has accepted a court enforceable undertaking from ReAmped Energy Pty Ltd (ReAmped Energy) following various failures related to 'best offer' obligations that affected 3,149 customers between 1 August 2022 and 30 June 2023.

Under Victoria's energy consumer protection framework, energy retailers are obligated to tell customers how much they could save by switching to the best energy plan the retailer offers. Known as a 'best offer' message, this information must be shown on an electricity customer's bill at least once every 3 months.

ReAmped Energy has acknowledged that between 1 August 2022 and 30 June 2023, it did not meet its best offer obligations when it failed to tell 3,149 customers about their best offer, by either:

• Not identifying the customer's best offer.
• Incorrectly calculating the customer's best offer, including by failing to have regard to Victorian Default Offer tariffs.
• Not providing a best offer message frequently enough.

Based on those admissions, and acknowledging that ReAmped Energy has already begun the process of reimbursing affected customers, the Essential Services Commission has accepted a court enforceable undertaking that requires ReAmped Energy to:

• Continue to honour requests for reimbursement from affected customers until 24 April 2025.
• Reimburse affected customers the difference between the Victorian Default Offer tariff (which at the relevant time were lower than the rates on ReAmped Energy's other electricity plans) and the rate they paid for their electricity during the period they were affected.
• Publish a public notice in newspapers.

Commissioner Sitesh Bhojani says best offer messages are an important consumer protection that helps Victorians find the best priced energy deal based on their previous use.

"ReAmped Energy's failure to provide best offer information means affected customers may have paid more for their electricity than they needed to.

"In the court enforceable undertaking, ReAmped Energy has committed to a legally binding obligation to extend reimbursing affected customers until April 2025. This is a good outcome for affected former customers, offering them an additional level of protection as ReAmped Energy exits the Victorian energy market.

"I would encourage anyone who was a ReAmped Energy customer between August 2022 and June 2023 to visit the ReAmped Energy website to find out whether they are eligible for a reimbursement."

If you are unable to resolve an issue directly with ReAmped Energy you can contact the Energy and Water Ombudsman of Victoria on 1800 500 509 or visit www.ewov.com.au.

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