Victoria’s Essential Services Commission (ESC), the state’s main regulator, says it has suspended another business from the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program after alleged false claims.
The ESU’s newly established VEU fraud taskforce says that Electra Energy Efficient Solutions Pty Ltd (Electra) had been suspended from the VEU program for a period of three months after the company allegedly falsely claimed to have completed weather sealing and low-flow shower rose upgrades.
The ESC alleges that contractors working on behalf of Electra misrepresented the number of upgrades installed, fabricated customer details, manipulated geo-tags on photos submitted as evidence of upgrades, and submitted photos of different properties as evidence of an upgrade to claim certifications for work that was not in fact undertaken.
As a result, the commission has suspended Electra’s VEU accreditation for three months, refused registration and ordered the surrender of a total of 900 certificates that are valued at almost $80,000, and required the company to undertake a compliance audit to assess their compliance with the VEU program rules.
“Our investigation has uncovered what we allege is serious fraudulent conduct from Electra, so we’ve taken quick action to protect the program’s integrity and reputation,” said Gerard Brody, Essential Services Commission chairperson and commissioner.
“Stopping Electra from creating certificates directly affects their ability to generate income from the VEU program. The message is clear – deliberately breaking the rules puts your business at risk.
“This is exactly what the taskforce was set up to do – use sophisticated analysis and intelligence to focus on areas we consider high-risk. When concerns arise, the taskforce can mobilise quickly to investigate and act, as we have done here.”
In September, it was announced that A.K. Alvi Enterprises Ptd Ltd (Zerowatt) and Phenix Pty Ltd (LEDSaves) had been both been suspended for allegedly claiming Victorian energy efficiency certificates for work that had not taken place.
Both companies were alleged to have falsely claimed to have completed weather sealing and low-flow shower rose installations, with Zerowatt suspended for three months, and LEDSaves for a six-month restriction.
A fourth company, MYOM Australia, was also placed on a six-month restriction in September for allegedly using falsified photo evidence for its energy efficiency projects.
