The Essential Services Commission has cancelled the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) accreditation of A.K. Alvi Enterprises Pty Ltd (A.K. Alvi) for allegedly continuing to advertise energy upgrades as an accredited business while suspended from the program.
A.K. Alvi is disqualified from reapplying for VEU accreditation for five years.
The VEU program is an energy efficiency program that helps Victorians cut their energy bills by supporting households and businesses to use energy more efficiently. Accredited businesses undertake energy efficiency upgrades that entitle them to create Victorian energy efficiency certificates, which they can then sell.
The commission initially suspended A.K. Alvi from the VEU program in August 2025 for allegedly falsified claims, including manipulating photos to claim additional certificates. The commission also refused registration of 200 Victorian energy efficient certificates, valued at $19,200*, and required the business to have its quality assurance processes independently audited.
During the suspension period, A.K. Alvi – trading as Zerowatt at the time – was banned from creating certificates for any type of energy efficiency work under the VEU program.
The commission alleges that A.K. Alvi:
- continued advertising energy upgrades under a different trading name – CarbonGreens – during the suspension period, falsely representing the business as accredited under the VEU program
- failed to remove the false representations despite multiple notifications and requests by the commission.
