In Wodonga, Ombudsman high bill cases increased 63 per cent from 19 to 31 cases in 2017-18, according to the EWOV annual report.

The city had the highest rate of disconnection disputes in Victoria, at 1.449 cases per 1000 people, with that rate of disconnection cases 2.7 per cent higher than the state average.

Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said cost of living pressures, including increased electricity and power prices, disproportionately affected low-income earners.

“There’s a lot of attention at the moment on price which means customers are querying whether or not the bill they’ve got is right,” she said. 

“People who are on a fixed income experience a much greater impact by the movement of energy prices than people in the highest income bracket.”

In the 2017-18 financial year, Alpine Shire had the highest rate of high bill disputes across Victoria with a 50 per cent increase in cases, as well as a 25 per cent increase in disconnection cases and 50 per cent jump in collection cases. 

Ms Gebert said seasonal heating costs in winter and low raw population figures were factors in the Alpine area. Across the state, she said, many people were in complex financial situations or were renting and could not do much to improve their home’s efficiency.

“Energy and water affordability is a continuing concern for customers,” she said.

“Customers are presenting to us with limited capacity to reduce their consumption or increase their ability to pay.

“What is being done to deal with the underlying issues customers are experiencing, because they’re not going away.”

In Wangaratta, high bill disputes decreased 48 per cent and disconnection cases dropped 46 per cent on the 2016-17 year, but the number of people going to the Ombudsman remained 20 per cent higher than the state average.