Customer Advisory Panel
Our Customer Advisory Panel (CAP) assists us in developing our future program of works through collaboration and representation of customer and stakeholder views and preferences.
As electricity distributors for more than 700,000 Victorians, United Energy is committed to working with customers and stakeholders to understand their needs and deliver services they value.
The Customer Advisory Panel (CAP) is an independent group that challenge United Energy to ensure customer and stakeholder views shape and are at the heart of all decision-making.
Their collaboration with us allows customer and stakeholder views to be embedded in decision making processes and means new challenges are addressed with customer and stakeholder views at the forefront of proposed solutions.
A significant focus of the CAP is the preparation of the 2026-2031 regulatory proposals, known as the Regulatory Reset. They will have a key role in shaping the proposals, and guide customer research, trials and development of specialised stakeholder-led working groups.
While there are overarching themes of importance to the business, our CAP members will also have the opportunity to shape the conversation and the CAP meeting agendas.
About the CAP
The CAP is made up of 10 members, including an independent Chair. The CAP members each have a longstanding interest in energy but come from various backgrounds, interests, and fields of expertise, to ensure a range of views and perspectives.
Philip Cullum - Chair
Philip is an experienced consumer advocate and regulator, based in Melbourne where he is a United Energy customer. He is principal of Consumer-wise Consulting, working on strategy, policy, engagement and governance. He is a member of the boards of the Clean Energy Council, the Financial Basics Foundation (which he chairs), Consumer Action and Consumers’ Federation of Australia. Philip has held senior roles at the Australian Energy Regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the UK energy regulator Ofgem, as well as three UK consumer organisations.
Hilary Newstead - Deputy Chair
Hilary’s experience covers energy and carbon markets, sustainability, energy productivity and product development. Her work has centred around creating sustainable futures for heavy industries and infrastructure portfolios in a changing climate; driving strategy and corporate engagement on decarbonisation, renewable energy, and climate resilience. She is currently the General Manager - Strategic Energy Management within the GFG Alliance, responsible for a significant wholesale electricity and gas portfolio and the development and execution of energy strategy and risk management. Hilary is a Board member of the South Australian Hydrogen Technology Cluster (SA-H2H).
Natalie Collard
Natalie Collard is the CEO of Farmers for Climate Action, and was the CEO of Food and Fibre Great South Coast. She is a highly regarded advocate for regional Australia, agriculture, renewable energy, innovation and women’s leadership. Her board experience includes the Australian Government’s Council of Australian Latin American Relations, Landcare Australia Ltd, Agsafe Ltd and the Victorian Government Agriculture Energy Investment Plan Independent Advisory Council. Many farmers and regional people Natalie represents are serviced by United Energy, while she lives Bayside and is serviced by CitiPower.
Dean Lombard
After training as a social worker, Dean worked in several community development roles followed by more than a decade in energy policy advocacy for the Victorian Council of Social Service before moving to Renew in 2016. As Renew’s Senior Energy Analyst he’s focused on policy analysis and advocacy in national and state energy markets, with an emphasis on making the energy system work better for residential consumers while also reducing its environmental impact. Recent work has been on DER enablement, tariff reform, and consumer protections in emerging energy markets.
Helen Bartley
Helen is an independent Qualified Professional Researcher and Accredited Statistician, with an Advanced Certificate in Engagement. She is a principal consultant with Bartley Consulting where she undertakes and advises on social research, evaluations, and consumer engagement with a focus on the water and energy sectors. Helen was a member of AusNet Services Customer Forum, representing customer interests in negotiations on its 2021-25 regulatory proposal. She is a current member of the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER) Consumer Reference Group and the AER’s Consumer Challenge Panel which provide consumer-oriented advice to the AER to help it make better regulatory determinations.
Gavin Dufty
Gavin currently runs the policy and research unit at St Vincent de Paul Victoria. Over the past 30 years he has participated in numerous electricity distribution, gas distribution and transmission regulatory resets across Australia. He has also been a representative on the Australian Energy Market Commission’s Reliability Panel and the Australian Energy Market Operator’s Integrated System Plan Consumer Panel. He's currently a representative on the Australian Energy Regulator’s and the Essential Services Commission Victoria Customer Consultative Groups and a board member of Energy Consumers Australia.
Keicha Day
Keicha is a Gunditjmara Yorta Yorta woman who has worked with Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owner Aboriginal Corporation and Yorta Yorta Nations Aboriginal Corporation in Cultural Heritage Management. Keicha has also assisted with negotiating Native Title and gaining UNESCO world heritage recognition for Budj Bim and is working on several boards currently. She is highly sought after and is extremely passionate about First Peoples having a seat at the table and a say in the Reconciliation Journey. Keicha has recently been a Treaty candidate for the First Peoples Assembly and is the Chair of CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy’s First Peoples Advisory Committee.