Red Energy won’t give me a payment plan I can actually afford, what can I do?
What to do if Red Energy refused a reasonable hardship payment plan or ignored your request for hardship assistance.
Regulator
State energy ombudsman (EWON in NSW, EWOV in VIC, EWOQ in QLD)
Key legislation
National Energy Retail Law and the National Energy Retail Rules
Dispute path
Letter first, deadline tracked. If they go quiet, escalation to State energy ombudsman (EWON in NSW, EWOV in VIC, EWOQ in QLD) is prepped and ready.
A payment plan that you have already explained you cannot meet is not a genuine offer of hardship assistance, it is the same demand restated on paper. Red Energy’s hardship obligations are meant to result in an arrangement based on your actual financial circumstances, not a fixed instalment figure set without regard to what you told them you can pay.
If you asked for hardship help and were given a plan you had already flagged as unaffordable, or were not assessed for hardship at all before being pushed toward disconnection or debt collection, that is worth challenging directly. Ask Red Energy to explain how the proposed plan was calculated and whether your stated circumstances were actually taken into account.
Put your financial situation in writing and formally request assessment under Red Energy’s hardship program, including a realistic instalment amount you propose based on what you can pay. If Red Energy will not revise an unaffordable plan or will not properly engage with a hardship request, escalate to your state energy ombudsman, EWON, EWOV or EWOQ, free of charge, which can investigate whether the hardship obligations were actually met.
Frequently asked questions
Is a fixed payment plan enough to satisfy hardship obligations?
Only if it genuinely reflects what you can afford. A plan you have already said is unaffordable does not meet that standard.
What should I propose instead?
A specific instalment figure based on your actual budget, put in writing along with your circumstances, so Red Energy has something concrete to assess.
Can Red Energy ignore my hardship request?
No, it is required to assess genuine hardship requests properly, not simply reissue the same demand.
What if I am already on a plan I cannot meet?
Ask for it to be reviewed and revised based on your actual circumstances, referencing the hardship program directly.
Does this protect me from disconnection?
While you are genuinely engaging with a realistic hardship arrangement, disconnection should not be the next step.
What if Red Energy won’t revise the plan?
Escalate to your state energy ombudsman, free of charge, which can investigate whether the hardship policy was properly applied.
What if Red Energy just ignores my letter?
Silence is not a dead end, it is a deadline breach. Red Energy is expected to respond to a formal complaint within 30 days. Build your letter with us and we track that deadline for you: a countdown check-in two weeks in, and if they miss the deadline, your escalation to your state energy ombudsman (EWON in NSW, EWOV in Victoria, EWOQ in Queensland, or your state equivalent) arrives pre-filled and ready to lodge. Escalating is free.
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