Red Energy is committed to delivering flexible ongoing support for our residential and small business customers experiencing family violence. This policy sets out how we will help, respect and care for each affected customer in every interaction.

If you are experiencing family violence please contact 1800 Respect for professional support.

Family violence can be defined as:

1. physical abuse; including any use of physical force against another person
2. sexual abuse; including any form of forced or unwanted sexual activity
3. verbal abuse; including yelling, screaming or consistently making statements that negatively label a person
4. emotional abuse
5. social abuse; such as preventing a person from spending time with family and friends, and isolating them from their support networks.

Family violence can also be economic in nature impacting affected customers by:

1. insisting an energy account is in an affected customers name and refusing to contribute to the cost
2. holding an energy account jointly and refusing to contribute to the cost
3. holding an energy account in the perpetrators name and not paying bills, resulting in disconnection, and
4. holding the account in the perpetrators name and threatening to have the service cut off or having it cut off when they leave the family home.

We recognise that family violence causes many difficulties (not just financial) and we will assist our customers to get the best possible outcomes.

We will:

• Always have consideration for the safety of customers affected by family violence.
• Make sure our processes avoid the need for customers to repeatedlydisclose or refer to their experience of family violence.
• Work with customers to identify a safe and preferred method of communication and use this method wherever possible.
• Make sure information regarding customers affected by family violence is handled securely and confidentially and in line with our Privacy Policy that is accessible at https://www.redenergy.com.au/privacy-policy.
• Case manage customers affected by family violence on an individual basis with consideration given to hardship assistance including payment plans, debt waiver or deferment, allocation of debt and debt collection activities, hardship grants and access to Utility Relief Grants and concessions.
• Provide information to customers about support programs including: energy efficiency information, Government grants and concessions, dispute resolution processes and payment options that are available.
• Refer customers who may be affected by family violence to specialist family violence service(s).
• Provide ongoing training to all relevant employees to enhance awareness and understanding of issues related to family violence as well as training in identifying and responding to the complex issues associated with family violence.
• Provide training to all relevant employees on how to appropriately implement the family violence guidelines of the business to provide support and effectively engage with affected customers by working with customers in a respectful and appropriate manner.
• Only seek documentary evidence where it is reasonably required when considering debt management or disconnection of a site.
• Publish and provide a copy of this policy (on request) together with details of referral agencies for affected customers on our website.
• Review this policy every two years to ensure it remains relevant to affected customers.

If you are experiencing family violence, support services are available.

REFERRAL GROUP:

This policy was last updated 1st April 2023.

Policy (PDF)