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Difficulties paying energy bills

Chances are there will be an energy bill or two hitting your mailbox sometime soon. If the thought of this fills you with more than the usual dread and you think you’ll have difficulty paying them, it’s best to act sooner rather than later. So, what can you do if you’re experiencing payment difficulties?

Gas and electricity bills often attract discounts if you have an eligible concession card, so the first thing you should do is check that your concession card is registered to your utility account and that you are receiving your full entitled discount. If you’re not entitled to a concession, or you’re still finding your bills too much to pay, then you may be able to access hardship plans offered by your retailer, or rebates and vouchers. Moneysmart.gov.au has a full list of concessions, rebates and vouchers available.

If you’re having problems paying an energy bill, you should: 


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What you should know
If you’ve entered into a payment plan with an energy provider and made the agreed payments, you can’t be disconnected.

When you contact your energy retailer to advise of payment difficulties, it must offer you a payment plan (unless you’ve failed to keep to two plans in the last year) and advise you of its hardship program.

Hardship programs usually waive fees, such as a late payment fee, to ensure you have the best chance of paying your bill.

Disconnection process
If you don’t make contact with your energy supplier, or don’t keep to your payment plan, then your service may be disconnected. The process is:

 

Retailers may be required to have processes in place to help those experiencing payment difficulties, but the onus is on you to make contact. If you’re having problems making payments, don’t delay in contacting your supplier. 

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