The program, the licence behind it, and what it commits us to
Victorian Energy Upgrades is a government program delivered by private businesses. Elite is one of them, accredited number A002239, which puts a set of enforceable rules between you and us.
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Who runs the program, and who we are in it
Two government bodies sit behind Victorian Energy Upgrades. The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action writes the rules. The Essential Services Commission regulates the businesses working under them.
Elite is one of those businesses. We hold accreditation A002239, and that's what lets us create the certificates that pay for your discount.
So the program belongs to the government. The discount on your quote comes from us, under a licence the commission can take away.
Who actually holds the accreditation
Accreditation is granted to a company, not to a salesperson and not to whoever turns up with a ladder. Ours runs from 2 July 2026 to 3 July 2027 and has to be renewed.
That matters 18 months after an install, when something has gone wrong. The company named on your paperwork is the one the commission holds responsible, and it's the one you come back to.
Where a specialist installer does the work, they do it under our accreditation. Our name stays on the job either way.
- Meeting the code of conduct on every job
- Keeping evidence the commission can audit
- Carrying the loss if a certificate fails
- Renewing the accreditation each year
What the code of conduct requires, on every job
| The rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| No cold calls and no doorknocking | A provider can't ring you or arrive at your door without consent. The phone ban started 1 May 2024 and the doorknocking ban on 1 August 2024. |
| You're told who you're dealing with | A provider has to make clear that the program is voluntary and that they don't work for the Victorian Government. |
| You get the terms in writing | Fees and charges, payment terms, any cooling off period, and the name of whoever is doing the install. |
| Complaints run to a clock | 5 business days to acknowledge it, 20 to resolve it, then independent dispute resolution if it's still unresolved. |
| A breach kills the certificate | If the code is breached at any stage, no certificate can be created for that job. The provider wears that, not you. |
How a government program becomes a discount on your quote
- 01
We check you're eligible
Each upgrade has its own rules about the property and the equipment already in it. We check that before quoting, not after.
- 02
You're quoted with the discount off
It's worked out from the published formula for that activity, so you get a figure and the arithmetic behind it.
- 03
The work is done and evidenced
Photos, measurements, serial numbers and signatures. The evidence pack is as much a part of the job as the install.
- 04
We create and surrender the certificates
That happens after you're finished and paid up. If the paperwork doesn't survive an audit, the loss lands on us.
What you should end up holding
Before anything starts you should have a written agreement showing the price, the payment terms, any cooling off period, and who is doing the install.
When it's finished you should have our details, the installer's details, the manufacturer's warranty, and a way to raise a dispute that doesn't rely on us choosing to be reasonable.
If a provider gets vague about any of that, ask why before you sign.
- The price, and the discount applied to it
- Who is doing the install
- Your cooling off period
- How to escalate a complaint
The licence is the part that protects you
Someone can take it away
The Essential Services Commission grants accreditation, and it withdraws it. In September 2026 it cancelled one provider's accreditation over staged photographs and banned doorknocking, and ordered 2,734 certificates surrendered, worth around $230,000. A licence that can be lost is a licence worth protecting.
The paperwork risk is ours
Your discount depends on certificates standing up to audit. When they don't, the provider that created them absorbs it, and you've already had the work done at the discounted price.
The rules follow the job, not the person
The code binds the accredited provider and everyone acting on its behalf. A subcontractor's conduct on your roof is still the provider's problem, which is why we're careful about who we send.
You have somewhere to go
A complaint has a deadline attached to it, and an independent step beyond us if we miss that deadline. The commission also takes reports directly from householders.
Find out which upgrades your home qualifies for
Most Victorian homes qualify for something, and the rules change from one activity to the next. We'll tell you which ones fit your place and what the discount works out to before you commit to anything.
Still have questions?
It's a Victorian Government program. The discount reaches you through an accredited business, which takes it off your price up front and recovers it by creating certificates. There's nothing for you to claim back.
No. Elite is a private company accredited by the Essential Services Commission to deliver upgrades under the program. The commission grants that accreditation, audits it and can withdraw it. Any provider who tells you they're from the government is breaching the code.
Every accredited provider has a number and the Essential Services Commission publishes the list. Ours is A002239. Ask for the number and look it up before you sign anything.
A Victorian energy efficiency certificate. One certificate represents one tonne of greenhouse gas emissions avoided. Only accredited businesses can create them, and large energy retailers are required to buy and surrender them, which is where the money for your discount comes from.
No. Doorknocking has been banned under the program since 1 August 2024 and cold calling since 1 May 2024. Both are breaches of the code of conduct and you can report them to the Essential Services Commission.
It depends on the upgrade. Some activities set a minimum contribution that no provider is allowed to waive or absorb. Ceiling insulation is $200, for example. Anyone advertising a fully free version of those upgrades isn't following the rules.
Tell us. We have 5 business days to acknowledge your complaint and 20 business days to resolve it. If that doesn't happen you can take it to independent dispute resolution, and the commission accepts reports from householders directly.
That's our problem rather than yours. The discount has already come off your price, and we're the ones who answer to the commission for the evidence behind it.
A long list that changes over time, including heat pump hot water, heating and cooling, ceiling insulation, hot water, lighting and more. We'll tell you which ones your property is eligible for.
Who we answer to
Elite holds Victorian Energy Upgrades accreditation A002239, granted by the Essential Services Commission for the period 2 July 2026 to 3 July 2027. The commission sets the conditions, audits the work and can suspend or cancel any provider that doesn't meet them. That arrangement is what lets us take the discount off your price instead of sending you away to claim it back.
