Statement - Minister must rein in energy program nuisance callers

Statement – Minister must rein in energy program nuisance callers

23 August 2023.

Many Victorians are reporting being harassed by private operators, touting the Andrews Government’s Energy Upgrades Program.

The Andrews Government operates a program that partners with private operators, who receive financial incentives, to upgrade household appliances and infrastructure.

The program has previously been rorted, with small businesses receiving deliveries of fridges that had not been ordered, and more recently, households have received water heater upgrades that failed to deliver energy savings.

With the program moving to exhaust fans and door seals, many elderly residents are receiving between six and 10 calls a day from call centres, pushing people into the upgrades.

Shadow Minister for Environment and Climate Change James Newbury said: “Last week, one elderly couple received 14 calls on their landline from call centres, aggressively trying to trick the residents into the Andrews Government’s supposed Energy Saver Program.”

“The Minister needs to step in to stop Victorians being harassed by those promoting the program, whom they are in partnership with”.