This winter all across South Australia families are being shocked by the high cost of electricity and utilities particularly their recent heating bill covering the coldest part of winter. Many are finding they simply cannot afford to pay.
“Last quarter like many South Australians our electricity was pretty devastating. It seemed like it was only just last week when we managed to scrape together enough to pay our last bill from the last of our savings. When another bill turned up in the mail this week my wife and I made a cuppa and nervously braced ourselves before slowly tearing open the envelope.
It’s like being hit by a high voltage. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you are so astounded it leaves you speechless. The bill was almost another half again from the previous one and we just stood there looking at each other. As strange as it seemed the only thing that could make its way through the static of panic in my mind was the thought of how much it would have cost to boil the jug to make the cup of tea we had forgot about and that was now cold.
We considered ourselves doing OK financially but this knocked us for six and is by far our biggest expense. And this on top of the other bills we need to pay including the Emergency Services Levy which we struggled to open last night after work”.
There are services and support that only a Financial Counsellor can provide access regarding people struggling to meet their costs for electricity and other services. Download the Affordable SA App search and share the range of services available. Ring the Helpline on 1800 025 539.