Victorian power prices: Energy brokerage aims to give battlers better deal

THOUSANDS of Victorian battlers will get government help to bargain with power companies for the best deal.

THOUSANDS of Victorian battlers will get government help to bargain with power companies for the best deal.

The Victorian Government has called on the community sector to run an energy brokerage pilot, which will enlist experts to help 10,000 vulnerable Victorians navigate the vast maze of retail power deals.

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Those in the trial will be metropolitan and regional ­Victorians who are either under energy hardship payments, have low discretionary income, low literacy and numeracy skills or have health and disability issues.

In tender documents the government has said the successful bidder for the $1 million pilot project would be expected to stay in contact with each user throughout the 15-month trial and change the plan if a better deal came along.

The tender process will close on February 22 and the pilot is expected to start in April.

The Victorian Government has called on the community sector to run an energy brokerage pilot. Generic picture

Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the project would help them find the deal that best suited their needs.

“Any increase in the cost of electricity and gas is never welcome news — and we understand many Victorians are feeling the pressure,” she said.

The tender documents also said a lack of transparency in retail offers made it hard for vulnerable and disadvantaged people to find the best deal.

It said consumers also did not trust information provided to it by energy retailers about power prices.

But despite the lack of trust for energy companies few were using the government’s Victorian Energy Compare website, which independently assessed energy deals.

Government assessments say 90 per cent of visitor to the VEC website could slash their energy bills by about $330 a year by finding a better deal.

But less than 10 per cent of Victorian households have visited the site.