Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Inaction on energy hardship hurting beneficiaries

3/10/2019

The Government’s response to the Electricity Price Review will do little to alleviate growing energy hardship that affects low-income communities. Auckland Action Against Poverty is calling for tangible action to reduce power prices, including putting an immediate end to late payment fees.

“The Government’s response to the Electricity Price Review has little teeth, leaving most of the harmful policies affecting low-income communities intact such as late payment fees and inadequate welfare assistance for power costs. The current response by Government does not tangibly address the 50% increase in power prices since 2000. The Government is hoping the electricity market will fix itself, by relying on the benevolence of profit seeking companies and half measures to encourage people to shop around”, says Ricardo Menendez March, Auckland Action Against Poverty Coordinator.

“Families will still be having to choose between paying their rent or paying their power bills. People on the benefit and those on low-wages regularly find themselves accessing AAAP for things like Glo-bug top-ups and emergency assistance from Work and Income to stop power disconnection. This form of assistance becomes a debt with Work and Income, which adds to the cycle of debt most beneficiaries find themselves in. The grants for power assistance by Work and Income need to acknowledge the structural and not come as a debt to families.

“Late payment fees end up disproportionately hurting low-income communities and do not acknowledge that the prices of power are too high relative to incomes. High power prices compounded by low incomes means low-income families can’t afford to pay their bills on time, not matter how well their budget. The Government needs to put an end to these fees which only help power companies increase their profits while hurting families.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“The response by the Government to the Electricity Price Review will continue seeing access to power as a privilege as opposed to a public good. While the Government spends millions on hardship grants to cover the high costs of power, power companies continue to make a profit from a largely unregulated electricity market.

“We are calling on the Government to immediately enforce all the recommendations by the Electricity Price Review regarding hardship, as well as putting an end to late payment fees.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.