Why a lead's history is your problem too
The ESC calls buying leads a high-risk activity. Buyers are liable if the leads were gathered in breach of the telemarketing or doorknocking bans, and they can't rely on the seller's word that nobody was cold-called.
Lead generation and marketing of a VEU activity are regulated actions under the VEET Act, which makes anyone doing them a scheme participant bound by the code of conduct. Breaching a code requirement carries a maximum of 60 penalty units for a person and 240 for a company. That includes us.
The bans, and what they leave alone
The cold-call telemarketing ban started on 1 May 2024 and the doorknocking ban on 1 August 2024. They bar generating leads or marketing a VEU activity by phone or at the door without express prior consent, and they bar buying contact details gathered that way.
The ESC says the bans don't stop providers responding to a consumer's enquiry, or calling and visiting people who asked for contact. Every job we send is the second kind.
It also says a written consent record must show the consumer's identity, who they agreed to be contacted by, the activities, whether that's by phone or a visit, when the consent expires, and any date it was withdrawn.
How our consent record lines up
- The consumer's identity: the name, email and phone they enter.
- Who they agreed to hear from: one local aircon technician, the one who takes the job.
- The activities: the heating or cooling job they described.
- Phone, visit or both: consent wording for phone or visit.
- When it expires: how consent expiry is recorded.
- Any date it was withdrawn: how withdrawals are recorded.
Naming the accredited person
Under the code, the homeowner has to be told the name of the accredited person who'll create the certificate. Our tick box doesn't name a business, so the accredited provider who takes a VEU job will confirm with the homeowner before any visit.
If you install under someone else's accreditation, the ESC recommends either naming that organisation in the consent form or contacting the consumer to confirm they agree to the referral. How our form will handle that is how the accredited person is named on VEU jobs, and we'd settle it with you before your first VEU job.
How we write about VEU
Our editorial rules bar any page from saying VEU, the ESC or the Victorian Government provides or pays for an upgrade, and our pages call the program voluntary. The code requires lead generators to take reasonable steps so people understand they don't work for the Victorian Government, and the quote form says plainly that we're not the Government.
From 30 September 2026, the minimum consumer co-payment for ducted air conditioners in categories 6A to 6C rose from $1,000 to $3,000. So no ducted VEU job comes at no cost to the homeowner, and our rules bar wording that suggests otherwise. The co-payment can't be paid back in money, goods or services either, so you won't see cashback or bonus extras offered here.
The air conditioner categories 6A to 6G must both heat and cool, so our pages don't suggest a VEU discount for a gas heater or an evaporative cooler.
What we don't do
We don't create certificates, calculate VEECs or check your scheme compliance. Whether we'll confirm accreditation against the ESC's VEU Public Registry is VEU accreditation check.
The ESC's VEU updates from July to October 2026 covered co-payments and other activities, and none concerned marketing or lead generation. If the marketing rules change, this page will change with them.
What we'd do
If we were an accredited provider
We'd ask any lead source three things before paying for a single lead: whose name is on the consent, when it expires, and whether we can see the record. If any answer is vague, the ESC's view on bought leads means the risk sits with you.