Victorian government to crack down on pushy showerhead salespeople

THE State Government is moving to crack down on the tactics of pushy salespeople offering free water-saving showerheads.

Residents have reported an increase in the number of encounters with persistent salespeople, often pushing unnecessary or substandard upgrades.

Concerns have also been raised about deceptive practices, including salespeople falsely claiming to represent the Victorian Energy Upgrades program.

Geelong resident Claire said that she thought the salesperson that came to her door was a government worker.

“I thought he was like a meter reader, why else would it be free?”

Under the existing policy, door-to-door agents earn Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs) for each tonne of greenhouse gas savings from these upgrades.

As of late December 2023, the market value for each VEEC was $90.50.

According to the VEEC website, installing two showerheads can result in earning three VEECs, translating to around $271.50.

Comparable water-saving showerheads are presently available at retailers such as Bunnings for $21.

To date 810,397 homes and business have had showerheads replaced resulting in the issuing of 1,964,988 VEECs. This is a value of $177.8 million at the December 2023 market value of a VEEC.

To be eligible for the free water-saving showerheads, existing showerheads must have a flow rate above 9 litres per minute or a rating below 3 stars.

Yet many residents have complained that the salespeople do not seem interested in assessing whether the existing showerhead actually needs replacing.

Residents in new suburbs have been particularly frustrated, as they say they clearly do not need replacements, given their houses are obviously new.

In June 2023, the state government announced that accredited providers would soon be banned from telemarketing to protect consumers from high-pressure sales tactics and other inappropriate marketing.

This was followed by a community consultation period between July 7-24.

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said the government was listening.

“Victorians need to be able to make informed decisions as they upgrade and make their homes more energy efficient. We’ve heard them on unwanted telemarketing calls and are taking action to stop this practice.”

The outcome of the consultation is due later this month.

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