State of Victoria announces financial support for Victorians struggling to pay energy bills

On May 13, the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio announced a $3.7 million support package for Victorian households this winter.

Here are some key takeaways from the announcement:

• This support package is part of the Victorian Government’s 2019 Payment Difficulty Framework, an initiative that aims to assist Victorians in “energy affordability issues through its Energy Fairness Plan”.
• The Government has liaised with energy companies to provide the solutions for Victorian households struggling with energy bill payment, including:
  •  Devising a payment plan for energy bills
  • Extending the due date of payments
  • Providing ‘best value deals’ for households 
  • Prohibiting energy companies from disconnecting households from electricity or gas
• The Government will also be installing new power stations around 700,000 homes as part of this plan.

Financial counsellors and frontline community workers will be recruited and trained to provide the best advice for Victorians, including:

• How to negotiate for the best energy deal from energy companies
• Other forms of support that are available with regards to energy bill payment
• General advice on managing finances

As of writing, this support package is still in the process of being finalised, but rest assured that there will be support for everyone during challenging times like this.