With energy prices on the rise, many Aussies are finding it hard to keep up with increasing costs.

To help ease the burden, the NSW government is providing extra assistance to those struggling to pay their energy bills.

Under the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) program, households in NSW will be able to access up to $1,600 cash a year.

It should also be noted that the NSW government increased the minimum limit from $300 to $400 a year, allowing its residents to access more cash support.

NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean said that the increase in payments is the government's move to aid those who are experiencing short-term financial hardships with their energy bills.

“Eligible customers can receive payment assistance of up to $400 per application for electricity and up to $400 per application for gas bills twice a year,” Mr Kean said.

“This means the annual maximum limit of vouchers has increased from $1,200 to $1,600 per household.”

The NSW government has boosted its payments to help residents who are struggling to pay their energy bills. Credit: Getty Images.​

It was said that the boost to the assistance for electricity and gas bills was timely, considering that the Australian Energy Regulator has recently released its final determination, where NSW energy customers on standing offers will be expecting price hikes from July 1.

External factors, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and extreme weather events in NSW and Queensland, were said to be the culprits for the price increases as production of energy had been limited due to the global price pressures on coal and gas.

The boost in payments is part of a $330-million-per-year package that the NSW government is providing to its residents.

Around 1 million households will also be eligible for energy rebates under the financial package.

Mr Kean quipped: “With cost-of-living pressures increasing, colder weather arriving and days shortening, we want to make sure households in NSW not only keep the lights on but keep their families safe, warm and comfortable.”

The price hikes on energy were said to be driven by external factors such as the Ukraine-Russia war and extreme weather events. Image credit: Pakistan Today.​

Aside from energy rebates, eligible households are encouraged to apply for different rebates such as the Low Income Household Rebate, Gas Rebate, Family Energy Rebate, and Seniors Energy Rebate.

“I encourage all households to shop around to find the best deal for their energy,” the minister said.

So, who is eligible for the assistance?

EAPA eligibility:

• Have an electricity or natural gas account for an NSW residential address, which is your primary place of residence and the account must be active at the time of your assessment (all other accounts are not eligible)
• Be the electricity or natural gas account holder (your account and bill must be in your name)
• Be experiencing a short-term financial crisis or emergency that has caused you financial hardship and impacted your ability to pay your current residential energy bill (in part or in full).

Source: Yahoo! Finance/NSW government

The application for EAPA requires an eligibility assessment by an NSW government representative or an approved non-government EAPA provider.

Below are the rebates program of other Australian states and territories:

VICTORIA

Eligible households are entitled to receive a one-off $250 Power Saving Bonus to help them with their energy bills.

The payments were made available from 1 February 2021 to households "with at least one resident receiving payments under an eligible concession program".

Recipients of the following concession programs can access the financial assistance:

• Centrelink
• The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Pensioner Concession, including DVA Gold Cardholders
• JobSeeker
• Youth Allowance
• Abstudy
• Austudy

Payments are limited to one per eligible household.

More information can be found at this link.

For those who are looking to apply, you may check the Victorian Energy Compare website for the process.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The State Government has announced a new energy concession for low-income earners in South Australia. The concession will help with the cost of energy bills for eligible households. This is a welcome relief for many families who are struggling to make ends meet.

The SA Concessions Energy Discount Offer concession will also be available to energy concession recipients.

Residents of a residential park are also eligible for the Residential Park Concessions - a combined concession for energy, water, and sewerage.

Information on eligibility and how to apply can be found here.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The Energy Assistance Payment is a much-needed help for those struggling to pay their electricity bills. The $310.60 payment, which is divided into daily amounts, is credited to Synergy or Horizon Power customers’ electricity bills. If you are not a direct customer of these energy suppliers, you may still be eligible for the Energy Concession Extension Scheme.

It should be noted that the payment is inclusive of GST.

As of 1 July 2015, the Energy Assistance Payment (EAP) is available only to those who hold means-tested Commonwealth concession cards. To be eligible, applicants must register with an appropriate concession card.

More information on eligibility requirements and how to apply can be found at this link

QUEENSLAND

Queensland pensioners and seniors may be eligible for:

• the Electricity Rebate—$340.85 per year (GST inclusive)
• the Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate—$76.19 per year (GST inclusive).

Please note that all rebates are GST inclusive. Rebates for eligible cardholders may appear as GST exclusive on bills.
More information on eligibility and application can be found at this link.
TASMANIA
The Tasmanian government offers an annual electricity concession for eligible households.
The program provides a daily discount to eligible Tasmanian customers as a cents per day rate.
More information for eligibility and applications can be found here.

So, there you have it, folks! The price increase in electricity has been talked about all over the country over the past few days, so we're hoping that our members can take advantage of the various assistance programs out there.

You’re also more than welcome to use this comparison site* we’ve partnered with to see if you can save some money on your bills. A new government report says we can cut over $200 off our energy bills. Find out how with this free service*.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think financial aid is enough to provide relief to the financial burdens of our current times? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.

 

[Ricci]

Luckily I am in the enviable position of being in credit to my electricity provider. I put solar on the roof some 4 years ago and haven't paid for electricity since. I am currently some $3000 in credit so I don't have to worry too much about keeping warm this winter.

 

[Gaena]

Luckily I am in the enviable position of being in credit to my electricity provider. I put solar on the roof some 4 years ago and haven't paid for electricity since. I am currently some $3000 in credit so I don't have to worry too much about keeping warm this winter.

We also have Solar, however the credit for the energy that it produces is automatically deducted from the bill, I thought it was a good idea at the time ! Our only form of heating is reverse cycle air conditioning, and as it is used mainly at night, the solar does not help with the cost during winter. I pay into our energy provider a set amount per week which will offset the first bill for the winter months and with that I am hoping to keep on top of the remaining bills, staying warm during the colder months is a regular drain on the budget for most of us.

 

[Elbe]

Wouldn't it make more sense for the government to control the prices instead of allowing deregulation & paying out extra money?? Why isn't the fact that so many people have solar panels used as part of the supply instead of penalised? Why is Australia (one of the sunnier countries on earth) not at the forefront of solar advances? Why are we wasting time on old technologies? Why?why?why?

 

[debjane]

All good and well for the mainland to be able to access this but here in Tasmania we only have one main supplier and we just do not have any gov payments to help with our bills, taking into consideration the freezing weather we have for 6 to 9 months of the year depending where you live. We used to live in WA and move here to get away from the heat and there is no way even if it does get a bit chilly here that I would go back to WA.

 

[Ricci]

We also have Solar, however the credit for the energy that it produces is automatically deducted from the bill, I thought it was a good idea at the time ! Our only form of heating is reverse cycle air conditioning, and as it is used mainly at night, the solar does not help with the cost during winter. I pay into our energy provider a set amount per week which will offset the first bill for the winter months and with that I am hoping to keep on top of the remaining bills, staying warm during the colder months is a regular drain on the budget for most of us.

I must admit, I was lucky. I got a 6.5kw system on an interest free 4yr loan from Origin and for the length of the loan was paid 25c.kw for what I sent back to the grid. That has now dropped back to 12c but luckily for me I have enough of a buffer for it to not worry me too much. They keep wanting to send me a refund but I'd rather they kept the money to be slowly eaten into over the next few years. I too have reverse cycle heating and cooling only.

 

[Shaza]

Millions of Australians get access to $1600 financial aid — here’s everything you need to know​

With energy prices on the rise, many Aussies are finding it hard to keep up with increasing costs.

To help ease the burden, the NSW government is providing extra assistance to those struggling to pay their energy bills.

Under the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) program, households in NSW will be able to access up to $1,600 cash a year.

It should also be noted that the NSW government increased the minimum limit from $300 to $400 a year, allowing its residents to access more cash support.

NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean said that the increase in payments is the government's move to aid those who are experiencing short-term financial hardships with their energy bills.

“Eligible customers can receive payment assistance of up to $400 per application for electricity and up to $400 per application for gas bills twice a year,” Mr Kean said.

“This means the annual maximum limit of vouchers has increased from $1,200 to $1,600 per household.”

The NSW government has boosted its payments to help residents who are struggling to pay their energy bills. Credit: Getty Images.​

It was said that the boost to the assistance for electricity and gas bills was timely, considering that the Australian Energy Regulator has recently released its final determination, where NSW energy customers on standing offers will be expecting price hikes from July 1.

External factors, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and extreme weather events in NSW and Queensland, were said to be the culprits for the price increases as production of energy had been limited due to the global price pressures on coal and gas.

The boost in payments is part of a $330-million-per-year package that the NSW government is providing to its residents.

Around 1 million households will also be eligible for energy rebates under the financial package.

Mr Kean quipped: “With cost-of-living pressures increasing, colder weather arriving and days shortening, we want to make sure households in NSW not only keep the lights on but keep their families safe, warm and comfortable.”

The price hikes on energy were said to be driven by external factors such as the Ukraine-Russia war and extreme weather events. Image credit: Pakistan Today.​

Aside from energy rebates, eligible households are encouraged to apply for different rebates such as the Low Income Household Rebate, Gas Rebate, Family Energy Rebate, and Seniors Energy Rebate.

“I encourage all households to shop around to find the best deal for their energy,” the minister said.

So, who is eligible for the assistance?

EAPA eligibility:

• Have an electricity or natural gas account for an NSW residential address, which is your primary place of residence and the account must be active at the time of your assessment (all other accounts are not eligible)
• Be the electricity or natural gas account holder (your account and bill must be in your name)
• Be experiencing a short-term financial crisis or emergency that has caused you financial hardship and impacted your ability to pay your current residential energy bill (in part or in full).

Source: Yahoo! Finance/NSW government

The application for EAPA requires an eligibility assessment by an NSW government representative or an approved non-government EAPA provider.

Below are the rebates program of other Australian states and territories:

VICTORIA

Eligible households are entitled to receive a one-off $250 Power Saving Bonus to help them with their energy bills.

The payments were made available from 1 February 2021 to households "with at least one resident receiving payments under an eligible concession program".

Recipients of the following concession programs can access the financial assistance:

• Centrelink
• The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Pensioner Concession, including DVA Gold Cardholders
• JobSeeker
• Youth Allowance
• Abstudy
• Austudy

Payments are limited to one per eligible household.

More information can be found at this link.

For those who are looking to apply, you may check the Victorian Energy Compare website for the process.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The State Government has announced a new energy concession for low-income earners in South Australia. The concession will help with the cost of energy bills for eligible households. This is a welcome relief for many families who are struggling to make ends meet.

The SA Concessions Energy Discount Offer concession will also be available to energy concession recipients.

Residents of a residential park are also eligible for the Residential Park Concessions - a combined concession for energy, water, and sewerage.

Information on eligibility and how to apply can be found here.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The Energy Assistance Payment is a much-needed help for those struggling to pay their electricity bills. The $310.60 payment, which is divided into daily amounts, is credited to Synergy or Horizon Power customers’ electricity bills. If you are not a direct customer of these energy suppliers, you may still be eligible for the Energy Concession Extension Scheme.

It should be noted that the payment is inclusive of GST.

As of 1 July 2015, the Energy Assistance Payment (EAP) is available only to those who hold means-tested Commonwealth concession cards. To be eligible, applicants must register with an appropriate concession card.

More information on eligibility requirements and how to apply can be found at this link

QUEENSLAND

Queensland pensioners and seniors may be eligible for:

• the Electricity Rebate—$340.85 per year (GST inclusive)
• the Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate—$76.19 per year (GST inclusive).

Please note that all rebates are GST inclusive. Rebates for eligible cardholders may appear as GST exclusive on bills.
More information on eligibility and application can be found at this link.
TASMANIA
The Tasmanian government offers an annual electricity concession for eligible households.
The program provides a daily discount to eligible Tasmanian customers as a cents per day rate.
More information for eligibility and applications can be found here.

So, there you have it, folks! The price increase in electricity has been talked about all over the country over the past few days, so we're hoping that our members can take advantage of the various assistance programs out there.

You’re also more than welcome to use this comparison site* we’ve partnered with to see if you can save some money on your bills. A new government report says we can cut over $200 off our energy bills. Find out how with this free service*.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think financial aid is enough to provide relief to the financial burdens of our current times? Let us know your opinions in the comments below.

Victoria is lagging behind, a once off payment that we received last year was helpful but nothing for this year and yet other states appear to be more understanding of those on benefits

 

[viviennemary1951]

We have had solar for almost 10 years, in that time we have always had a fair sized bill each quarter for power. (300$) I believe that I should have saved my thousands of dollars and not bothered. This latest kick in the stomach is just another reminder that the powers that be want us gone if we are not paying taxes. We are a drain on their finances.

 

[tomtom]

Wouldn't it make more sense for the government to control the prices instead of allowing deregulation & paying out extra money?? Why isn't the fact that so many people have solar panels used as part of the supply instead of penalised? Why is Australia (one of the sunnier countries on earth) not at the forefront of solar advances? Why are we wasting time on old technologies? Why?why?why?

Hi Elbe, partly agree with your comments, however, like so many of us, we make statements, such as " old technologies ", but don't follow up with suggested ways of fixing the problem ( in our own minds ). many people have been suggesting nuclear for many years, before everybody shouts me down, I am aware of accidents with nuclear, however, now, clean and safe and we have the resources, so why not, even if the greens disagree.

 

[biribo]

Wouldn't it be nice if the other states stumped up like NSW and assisted their citizens more ...

 

[Gaena]

Wouldn't it be nice if the other states stumped up like NSW and assisted their citizens more ...

Lucky enough to live in WA and receIved another credit on our Electricity bills this year Although not as high as the $600.00 credit last year the $400.00 this year is a welcome offer to reduce the cost and is paid straight into our electricity accounts, with any luck we can keep on top of the coming bills for winter this year.