Family Violence Support

​You are not alone

If you are experiencing family violence, we want you to know that we are here to help. Your safety is our most important concern. You do not need to provide evidence or documentation to receive support from us — you simply need to let us know what is happening. This page explains the support Microgrid Power can provide to customers affected by family violence, how we protect your information, and where you can find additional help.

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What is family violence?

Family violence means behaviour by a person towards a family member that:

• is physically, sexually, emotionally or psychologically abusive

• is economically or financially abusive

• is threatening, coercive or controlling

• causes a family member to fear for their own, or another person's, safety or wellbeing

Family violence also includes situations where a child hears, witnesses or is exposed to such behaviour.

 

We recognise that family violence affects people differently depending on gender, culture, disability, language, sexual orientation, age and financial circumstances. We are committed to providing support that is inclusive, culturally safe and respectful of your individual situation.

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How we can help

As soon as you let us know you are affected by family violence, we will act immediately to support you. You do not need to prove anything — your disclosure is enough.​

• Your account will be protected. We will flag your account as family violence protected and restrict access to trained, authorised staff only. We will disable automated messages unless you tell us they are safe, and we will ensure no written communications contain personal details that could put you at risk.​

• We will communicate safely with you. We will ask you how you would like us to communicate with you — by phone, email, post, or through a trusted third party — and we will follow those preferences. We will check in with you if we think those preferences may no longer be safe.​

• Your information will stay confidential. We will not share your personal information with anyone else — including a joint account holder — without your explicit consent, unless we are required to by law or it is necessary to prevent serious harm.​

• Joint accounts and account changes. If you share an account with another person, we can help you separate accounts or change account authority arrangements in a way that keeps you safe.​

• Additional security. We can offer extra security measures for your account, such as a personal code word, PIN, or two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorised access.

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Financial and payment support

We recognise that family violence can cause serious financial difficulty. If your energy payments have been affected, we will:

• Treat your situation as a hardship matter and provide access to our hardship program and tailored payment plans

• Offer flexible payment arrangements, fee waivers, and debt review

• Waive any late payment fees

• Temporarily pause or modify any debt collection activity

• Not disconnect your supply where family violence is a contributing factor to any outstanding debt

• Consider whether debt may have been accumulated as a result of financial abuse, and promptly identify situations where debt can be waived or suspended in part or in full

• Not take debt recovery action without first considering your individual circumstances and the impact on your safety

If you cannot pay the full cost of your ongoing energy use, we can work with you to find a solution. See our Hardship page for more information about the payment options available.

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No evidence required

We will never ask you to provide documentation or proof of your situation before providing support. You will not be penalised or disadvantaged for disclosing family violence to us. Any support we provide will not put you in breach of your energy contract.

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How to contact us

You can contact us at any time using whichever method feels safest for you:

Phone: 1300 647 888 (Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm AEST)

Email: support@microgridpower.com.au

A support person such as a financial counsellor, case worker or trusted representative can also contact us on your behalf with your permission.

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Need an interpreter? Call TIS National on 131 450 and ask for Microgrid Power on 1300 647 888. Hearing or speech impaired? Call the National Relay Service on 133 677 and ask for 1300 647 888.

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Our family violence policy

You can download a copy of our full Retail Energy Family Violence Policy from our Documents page or from the link below.

We can also send you a copy by email or post, in your preferred format or language. Just let us know.

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Retail Energy Family Violence Policy

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External support services

24/7 crisis and safety support

• 1800RESPECT — 1800 737 732

• Safe At Home — 1800 633 937

• Emergency Accommodation — 1800 800 588

• National Trauma & Recovery Service — 1800 385 578

• Rainbow Family Violence Helpline — 1800 497 212

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Counselling and support

• Family Violence Crisis & Support — 1800 608 122

• SHE — 6278 9090

• Sexual Assault Support Services — 6231 1811

• Bravehearts (children and young people) — 1800 272 831

• Kids Helpline — 1800 551 800

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Support for men

• Men's Referral Service — 1300 766 491

• Don't Become That Man — 1300 243 413

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Financial counselling

• National Debt Helpline — 1800 007 007 | ndh.org.au

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Interpreter services

• TIS National — 131 450