Staying connected – support and assistance available

STAYING CONNECTED

Energy literacy training for front-line community services workers

SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE Government concessions

Life support concession

The Tasmanian government provides funding for a number of concessions to help eligible Tasmanians with the cost of electricity. The eligibility criteria differ with each concession; for further details, see the Tasmanian Government Concessions Guide available online at www. concessions.tas.gov.au Electricity concession

This concession provides a daily discount that is taken off the bill by Aurora Energy.

This concession is available to people who hold the following cards: ·· Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Human Services (DHS) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) ·· Health Care Card issued by Department of Human Services (DHS) ·· ImmiCard (Bridging Visa E) issued by the Department of Immigration & Border Protection ·· Tasmanian Concession Card issued by the Department of Premier & Cabinet To apply for this concession, eligible individuals need to contact Aurora Energy by telephone or download or complete an application form online: www.auroraenergy.com.au/your-home/ bills-and-payments/discounts-and-concessions

This concession provides a daily discount for eligible people who use an approved life support system or who live with someone who uses such a system. Each approved life support device receives a different daily discount.

Medical cooling or heating concession

This concession provides a daily discount to eligible people who have, or live with a person who has, a medical condition that requires additional heating or cooling to help manage that medical condition.

To apply for either of these concessions, eligible individuals need to contact Aurora Energy for an application form. The completed form must be signed by the applicant’s doctor before being submitted to Aurora Energy.

For more information, contact Aurora Energy, phone: 1800 132 003 / e-mail: customerservice@ auroraenergy.com.au / online: www.auroraenergy.com.au For King and Flinders Island residents, contact Momentum Energy, phone: 1300 662 778 / e-mail: info@momentum.com.au / online: www.momentum.com.au

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Essential Medical Equipment Payment

This is a Commonwealth payment available to eligible people who need to use specific medical equipment and/or who need additional heating or cooling to manage their medical condition.

To be eligible to receive this payment, individuals must hold a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Human Services (DHS) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and provide proof that the heating or cooling or specified equipment is medically required.

For further information, contact Centrelink, phone: 13 62 40 / online: www.humanservices. gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/essentialmedical-equipment-payment Heating Allowance

This is an allowance paid each year for eligible pensioners to assist with heating costs.

The allowance is available only to people who hold a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Human Services (DHS) or the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) and who have less than a certain amount of cash assets.

For more information, contact Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), phone: 1800 300 068 / online: www.dhhs.tas.gov.au

Payment options While most households are billed every three months, people can choose to make more regular – and smaller – payments to help avoid having to find money to pay for a large quarterly bill. Some of the ways this can be done are listed here.

Centrepay

People who receive pensions or payments from Centrelink can arrange to have money taken out from their pensions or other payments on a regular basis. They can arrange to have the money paid directly to Aurora Energy towards their electricity account. Regular fortnightly payments can help reduce (or even cover) the amount due on a three monthly bill.

Aurora Energy can arrange to set up Centrepay deductions for customers who ask and give their permission. This service is offered by Centrelink at no cost to anyone receiving a Centrelink payment.

EasyPay

This is a payment system offered by Aurora Energy where a household’s annual energy costs (based on the previous year) are averaged out over 12 months and the customer makes the same regular payments all year (weekly, fortnightly or monthly). This provides customers with some certainty that large winter bills will be largely covered. At the end of each billing period the customer may owe a small amount more or may find themselves in credit that will go toward future costs.

Aurora Energy can set up EasyPay for account holders on request.

Payments at a Post Office

Anyone can make payments of any amount at any time at a Post Office. All that is needed is the household’s account number (which appears on every bill). Payments made this way go toward the account and reduce the amount that is needed to cover the next bill when it arrives. Electricity bills can also be paid in full at a Post Office using cash, credit card or EFTPOS. It is important to get – and to keep – a receipt for all payments made at a Post Office.

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Direct debit

A payment plan should detail in writing:

This is an arrangement people can make to have payments to Aurora Energy taken directly from their bank account. These can be either part payment or payment of a whole bill.

·· The amount of each instalment payment

It is important to make sure that the account that money will be taken from has enough in it to cover the deduction – banks usually charge fees if there is not enough money in the account to cover a direct debit.

Aurora Pay As You Go

APAYG is Aurora Energy’s pre-payment system but is currently not available to new customers.

Payment is made in advance using a smart card, like a pre-paid mobile phone. When the credit runs out, a small amount of emergency credit is provided and when that is used, the meter is automatically disconnected until the smart card is loaded with more money.

About 25,000 Tasmanian households use the APAYG system (about 12% of households).

Other payment options

Bills can be paid online or by phone using a credit card, or by BPay through online banking or online through Australia Post Bill Pay.

Payment plans Energy retailers are required by law to offer a payment plan to customers who are having difficulty paying a gas or electricity bill. A payment plan is a plan set up between the retailer and the customer to pay off a bill (and/ or a debt) over time with the customer agreeing to pay instalments of a set amount at regular intervals.

Customers can request to have a payment plan set up and the retailer must consider: ·· The household’s electricity usage (based on previous bills), and ·· How much money is owed, and ·· The customer’s capacity to pay.

·· The due date and frequency of each instalment payment and ·· The length of the payment plan agreement.

It is very important that customers do not agree to a payment plan that they cannot afford.

A payment plan can be cancelled by the retailer if payments are not made. A retailer is not required to offer a customer a payment plan if the customer has had two payment plans cancelled within the previous 12 months. The customer is likely then to be disconnected.

Some customers may need help negotiating a payment plan. Community service workers are often in a good position to assist their clients with this process, or they may choose to contact a financial counsellor (see page 4 for contact details).

Hardship programs Electricity retailers are also required to offer assistance through a hardship program to customers who have longer term problems paying for electricity. Aurora Energy’s hardship program is called YES (Your Energy Support) and provides assistance through a specialist team of customer service staff.

YES program staff can help set up an affordable payment plan that can cover ongoing usage and payments off any debt a customer may have. They will also help customers understand their electricity use and provide advice on how to use it better, and they may offer other assistance (such as access to energy efficient appliances or payment incentives). They will also provide referrals to further assistance such as financial counselling, interest free loans and emergency relief.

Contact Aurora Energy YES team on 1300 102 010.

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Energy Hardship Fund

No Interest Loans Scheme – NILS

The Tasmanian Government provides money every year for an Energy Hardship Fund to assist households in need with their energy bills (both electricity and gas). The Fund is managed by the Salvation Army and distributed by emergency relief providers throughout Tasmania, including St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies), Uniting Care, Hobart & Launceston City Missions, Hobart & Launceston Benevolent Societies, Rural Alive & Well, Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation, Wyndarra Centre, Catholic Care, Colony 47 and others.

This is a scheme that provides no interest loans to low income Tasmanians for household appliances, education, medical, dental needs and essential car expenses. To be eligible for a loan, you must have a Pension Concession or Health Care Card.

Contact the Salvation Army on 13 72 58 for further locations.

Emergency relief Emergency relief providers may also provide assistance with food, clothing and furniture for people in need. Getting access to food or clothing at times when money is short might free up some money to make a payment on an electricity payment plan or bill.

For locations of emergency relief providers in Tasmania, see www.findhelptas.org.au – look under ‘Finances’.

Financial counselling People who have long term difficulties paying electricity (and other) bills may benefit from advice from a financial counsellor.

Financial counsellors provide information, support and advocacy to assist people in financial difficulty. They can help with managing personal finances and debt, and with budgeting.

NILS can provide loans to purchase energy efficient heaters and other appliances such as fridges and washing machines.

Contact NILS on 1300 301 650.

Tasmanian Energy Ombudsman services Complaints about energy suppliers (retailers or distributor) can be taken to the Tasmanian Energy Ombudsman. This is a free, independent service.

Consumers must first try to resolve their problem or complaint with the company involved and should always ask to speak to a supervisor or manager if they are having trouble with the first person they speak to. If the consumer is still unhappy with the handling of their problem or complaint, they can take it to the Energy Ombudsman.

The Energy Ombudsman can investigate complaints and try to resolve them. It may be necessary for a consumer to fill in a form to take their complaint to the Energy Ombudsman.

If this is difficult for a consumer, a community service worker may help with that process.

Contact the Tasmanian Energy Ombudsman on 1800 001 170.

In Tasmania, financial counselling is provided by community service organisations and is free. It should not be confused with financial advice or advisor services or ‘debt counselling’ services.

To locate financial counselling services in Tasmania, contact 1800 243 232 or 1800 007 007.

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