news Over 560 businesses register for ChooseCBR discount scheme A total of $2 million worth of discount vouchers valid in over 560 Canberra businesses are now available as part of the ACT Government’s reworked ChooseCBR scheme. From Wednesday 9 June, customers who have signed up to the program will each day be able to access: $10 off when they spend $20 or more; $20 off when they spend $40 or more; and $50 off when they spend $100 or more. This means $80 worth of vouchers will be made available to registered customers daily. The ACT Government has been on the charm offensive with Canberra’s small business community over the past three weeks, pounding the pavement to sign up as many eligible businesses as possible. Eligibility requirements have expanded to allow any small business with a turnover of under $10 million to be accepted, doing away with the former JobKeeper criterion. Artists Shed owner Margaret Hadfield said she felt “indignant” about being ineligible for last year’s
trial because she wasn’t on JobKeeper but was delighted to be participating this time around. “I actually scraped through, and I was quite proud of myself,” Ms Hadfield said. “Being an artist I live off the smell of an oily rag. “It’s really nice to come around in the full circle,” she said. ACT Minister for Business and Better Regulation, Tara Cheyne, said more businesses are registering daily. “We’ve done an extraordinary amount of work just getting the word out,” she said. “I’ve been out going door-to-door myself with businesses.” Ms Cheyne said she has observed a “really big uptake” of new businesses signing up over the past three weeks. Businesses are still able to register for the scheme after it goes live, with around 20 businesses a day registering throughout the December 2020 trial. After the trial was criticised for a lack of exposure and promotion, this time around
Artists Shed owner Margaret Hadfield was unable to participate in last year’s ChooseCBR trial because the gallery didn’t qualify for JobKeeper but was delighted to be eligible this time around. Photo: Denholm Samaras.
participating businesses will be provided with a suite of materials in the form of a toolkit that comes complete with a QR code, posters, stickers, badges, social media content, and more. After an underwhelming take up in last year’s trial, Ms Cheyne anticipated the allocated funds may go “a little bit faster” this time. As at Tuesday 8 June, 58,000 customers are registered, 50,000 of whom rolled over from the trial. Anyone aged 18 or over can sign up to access the vouchers via choosecbr.act.gov.au - Denholm Samaras
Electricity price hikes for ACT households and businesses Electricity prices will increase for Canberrans from 1 July, the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the ACT’s economic regulator, announced on Monday. But the ACT Government said it would help 31,000 lower and fixed income households to pay their bills. The average household’s yearly electricity bill will increase by $195, and small businesses’ electricity costs rise by $751, estimates Dr Emma Campbell, CEO of the ACT Council of Social Services (ACTCOSS). For Canberrans on income supports and low incomes, Dr Campbell said, that means $195 less to spend on groceries, rent, or medical appointments. “It can also leave people with no choice but to turn off the heater and weather the Canberra cold.” As an immediate response, the ACT Government will: • Permanently increase the annual Utilities Concession by $50 to $750 annually. • Increase the Utilities Concession by $50 for 202122, taking the payment for next year to $800. • Contribute $1 million to the Utilities Hardship Fund over four years. • Establish a co-governed energy literacy and education program with the community sector; 10
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the government will contribute $950,000 over four years. • Expand access to the Utilities Concession to all those who hold an ACT Services Access Card, including asylum seekers. Through a community awareness program, the Government will encourage all households to ensure they are getting the best deals possible, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said. Around 40% of Canberra households have been on standing offer contracts for a long time, and lower prices were available. The government has directed the ICRC to make a new industry code under the Utilities Act 2000, to help Canberrans to compare electricity offers and get better deals from retailers. ACT consumers can also compare retail electricity offers by using the Australian Government’s website, Energy Made Easy. Consumers experiencing financial difficulties in paying their electricity bills should ask their retailer about payment plans and hardship assistance. Households and businesses in the ACT may be eligible for discounts and assistance to reduce their electricity bills through ACT Governmentsupported programs.
Energy efficiency was another way people could take control of their energy bills, said Shane Rattenbury, Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction. For advice on being more comfortable while using less power, visit www. actsmart.act.gov.au. The 74,000 households and businesses that have already participated in the government’s Energy Efficiency Improvement Scheme save an average $300 per year for households and $5,200 per year for businesses. It also offers energy savings for lowincome households. ACTCOSS welcomed these initiatives, and urged the government to implement minimum energy efficiency standards regulations for rental properties, a commitment in the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement. “As the ACT moves towards net zero emissions, it is imperative that we see a just transition,” Dr Campbell said. “Today’s increase in energy costs is largely due to the ACT Government’s Largescale Feed-in-Tariff scheme, a component of the ACT’s 100% renewable energy strategy. To ensure Canberrans with the least aren’t disproportionally affected, we need to make sure this cost is distributed equitably.”
