Significantly more vouchers to help the needy pay their power bills have been handed out in Orange in the first four weeks of this financial year than the same time last year.
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The St Vincent de Paul Society, which provides vouchers to help needy people pay their power bills in Orange, has revealed they have had an unprecedented number of cries for help.
The acting executive officer for Vinnies’ Bathurst Central Council, Lukas Rajnoch, said they handed out 453 vouchers to people in the Orange region over the three months of winter last year, and they had already handed out 340 in the first few weeks this year.
“Over three months last year we gave out nearly $23,000 worth of vouchers and in just under a month this year we have handed out $17,000,” he said.
Across NSW, Vinnies has handed out more vouchers in the first few weeks this year than they did for the whole of winter last year.
Vinnies chief executive officer Jack de Groot said sky-rocketing electricity prices – with bills up by 20 per cent – were hitting people hard.
He said Vinnies was the largest provider of the NSW Government Energy Accounts Payment Assistance [EAPA] voucher.
Vinnies has already given out $400,000 worth of vouchers.
- Jack de Groot, St Vincent de Paul CEO
“Data collected from our members and staff distributing EAPA vouchers paints a shocking picture,” he said.
Mr de Groot said that in the three months of winter last year Vinnies distributed $360,000 worth of vouchers in NSW.
“This financial year since July 1 Vinnies has already given out $400,000 worth of vouchers.”
“This is a significant increase, with more given out in emergency relief in one month than the whole of winter last year.”
Mr de Groot said the voucher system had been converted from a paper to a digital scheme.
Each voucher is worth $50 toward playing power bills.
He said Vinnies was also receiving extra demand for other services.
Mr de Groot said the vouchers were a “band-aid solution” to a wider problem.