The useless PM Turnbull just doesn't care!
They are fearful of opening their power bills to reveal what it might be, and some bring them in unopened.
There have been lots of recent stories in the newspapers and on talkback radio
about the impact that Sydney’s escalating power prices are having on so many people, but every day we are confronted with the reality of this crisis.
People who are already living on marginal incomes and tight budgets, who carefully manage how much they spend on housing, food, school and education expenses, medical bills, and other essential living costs, have found that their budgets are thrown into turmoil when an electricity bill arrives
20 per cent or more higher than previous bills.
Recent figures reveal that Auburn is the second highest user of Energy Accounts Payment Assistance vouchers in Sydney.
These are vouchers made available by the NSW government to assist people experiencing financial hardship who can’t meet the cost of their power bills.
Many local people are approaching our centre desperately seeking this kind of assistance.
And as we meet and begin to work with them I have seen a common and disturbing emotion present — fear. They are fearful of opening their power bills to reveal what it might be, and some bring them in unopened.
It concerns me greatly that people in this nation are living in this type of fear and anxiety.
Something has gone badly wrong when people come in to see me with unopened bills; when they hand in their heaters because they fear the consequences of turning them on; when they switch off their refrigerators a few days a week; when they ask for extra blankets and layers of clothes to fight off the winter cold.
I relate to this. As Salvation Army officers working on very low incomes, we too are faced with these type of decisions about how long we will keep heaters on. Last summer we installed fans to replace air conditioning in our home. We are constantly reviewing what other strategies we can undertake to reduce our electricity costs.
Ultimately, this problem can’t be solved by my minuscule efforts to increase our capacity to help more people. Our elected representatives must notice this fear, see this suffering and determine that they will give priority to bringing relief to this never ending spiral of increasing power prices.
Then it might be possible for all Australians to live without fear, and to experience warmth and comfort in winter. Is that asking too much?
Major Paul Moulds AM is the dihttp://
www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/charities-lead-the-fight-against-power-bills/news-story/7d5f20721707efed8dd466fb68132847rector of the Salvation Army’s services in Auburn.
