Mistakes, Warranties and Official Help
Home battery problems: who to complain to in each state and in what order
Battery not performing, installer gone, VPP billing wrong or unsafe work? The order of complaint in Australia — seller, fair trading, energy ombudsman, CER, safety regulator.
If something goes wrong with a home battery, start with the business that sold it to you in writing, then go to your state or territory fair trading or consumer affairs agency for disputes about the product, installation or contract. Use your state energy and water ombudsman for problems with an electricity retailer or VPP billing, the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) for problems with STCs or false statements about eligibility, your state electrical safety regulator for unsafe or unlicensed work, and the New Energy Tech Consumer Code complaint process if the seller is a code signatory. Your rights come mainly from the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), which gives consumer guarantees on top of any warranty. Keep every document: quote, contract, invoice, compliance certificate, photos and emails.
This is the pillar guide for the problems and help section. The other guides cover door-to-door and phone sales, warranties and consumer guarantees, common mistakes, checking installer accreditation and battery safety and location.
Which body handles which problem
| Problem | First contact | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Battery faulty, underperforming or not as described | Seller (retailer) | State fair trading agency; small claims tribunal |
| Installer has stopped responding | Seller; manufacturer for warranty | State fair trading agency |
| Price changed after signing; extras not in quote | Seller | State fair trading agency |
| Door-to-door or phone sale you want to cancel | Seller, in writing, within 10 business days | State fair trading agency; ACCC |
| VPP contract, bill credits or retail plan problem | Retailer or VPP operator | Energy and water ombudsman |
| STC discount not passed on, or eligibility misstated | Seller | Clean Energy Regulator; fair trading agency |
| Unsafe or unlicensed electrical work | Do not use the system; call a licensed electrician | State electrical safety regulator |
| Seller is a New Energy Tech Consumer Code signatory | Seller | NETCC complaint process |
| Finance or credit contract problem | Credit provider | Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) |
The CER notes it does not get involved in contracts between you and your retailer or VPP operator. Its rooftop solar page advises contacting your approved seller first, then your state office of fair trading or consumer affairs body.
Step-by-step complaint process
- Write to the seller. Describe the problem, what you want (repair, replacement, refund, completion of work) and a reasonable deadline, such as 14 days. Attach the quote, contract and photos.
- Ask for the manufacturer's warranty process if the fault is in the battery itself. The seller should not refuse to help just because a manufacturer's warranty exists — under the ACL the seller has obligations too.
- Keep a log of calls, emails and visits with dates and names.
- Contact your fair trading agency. Most offer free information and some offer conciliation between consumers and traders.
- Go to a tribunal if needed. Each state and territory has a civil and administrative tribunal or court for consumer claims, often with a simple small-claims process.
- Report to regulators where relevant: CER for STC misconduct, the electrical safety regulator for unsafe work, the ACCC for systemic misleading conduct.
Fair trading and consumer affairs agencies
| State or territory | Agency |
|---|---|
| NSW | NSW Fair Trading (the NSW battery page also lists Building Commission NSW for unlicensed work and licensing matters) |
| Victoria | Consumer Affairs Victoria |
| Queensland | Office of Fair Trading |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services |
| Western Australia | Consumer Protection (Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety) |
| Tasmania | Consumer, Building and Occupational Services |
| ACT | Access Canberra (fair trading) |
| Northern Territory | NT Consumer Affairs |
Energy and water ombudsmen
Energy ombudsmen deal with complaints about energy retailers and distributors, including billing for feed-in credits and VPP-linked retail plans. They generally do not deal with installation disputes against a solar or battery installer that is not an energy retailer; those go to fair trading.
| State or territory | Ombudsman or dispute body |
|---|---|
| NSW | Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) |
| Victoria | Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) |
| Queensland | Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland |
| South Australia | Energy and Water Ombudsman SA |
| Western Australia | Energy and Water Ombudsman WA |
| Tasmania | Energy Ombudsman Tasmania |
| ACT | ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) |
| Northern Territory | Ombudsman NT |
NSW incentive-specific contacts
For the NSW VPP incentive or old NSW battery discount, the NSW Government page names: your installer or the Accredited Certificate Provider (ACP) on your nomination form; NSW Fair Trading for unresolved contract work issues; Building Commission NSW for unlicensed work or licensing; and IPART, the scheme administrator, if you cannot identify your ACP or have concerns about an ACP's conduct.
Clean Energy Regulator
The CER regulates the STC scheme. It can act against retailers who make false or misleading written statements and publishes a list of retailers declared ineligible to make statements. It has said it will inspect battery installations, remove poor performers from the program and report retailers that breach their obligations to fair trading bodies. Report STC-related misconduct through the CER's website.
What to have ready
- Quote and signed contract
- Invoice and payment records
- STC assignment form you signed
- Certificate of electrical compliance and commissioning report
- Battery model, serial number and warranty documents
- Photos of the installation and any fault codes or app screenshots
- Correspondence with the seller
FAQ
The installer has gone out of business. What now?
Contact the battery manufacturer about the product warranty, and your fair trading agency for advice. The manufacturer also has obligations under the ACL for some failures. Keep paying only for what you have received.
Can I stop paying my finance if the battery doesn't work?
Talk to the credit provider and your fair trading agency first. Stopping payments can affect your credit report. AFCA handles disputes with credit providers.
Is there a time limit for complaints?
Consumer guarantees last for a reasonable time depending on the product and price, which for a battery may be many years. Tribunals and AFCA have their own time limits, so act promptly.
Sources
- Clean Energy Regulator — complaints and retailer obligations
- ACCC — consumer guarantees and unsolicited selling
- NSW Fair Trading — NSW disputes
- Consumer Affairs Victoria — Victorian disputes
- Queensland Government — Office of Fair Trading
- Consumer Protection WA — WA disputes
- EWON and EWOV — energy complaints in NSW and Victoria
- New Energy Tech Consumer Code — complaints about approved sellers
