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Mark Shalovsky

In the current cost of living crisis, affordable housing residents need assistance with their electricity and gas accounts too but, so far, they have largely missed out.

In the September 2024 issue of Community Connect, I set out details of the rebates and concessions of up to $1,261.60 that most community housing residents should have been eligible for over the last financial year, 2023/24, and the further $1,061.60 that they should be eligible for this financial year, 2024/25.

Affordable housing tenants have previously missed out because most of these rebate and concession schemes are targeted narrowly, to assist people who are living on a very low income. 鈥榁ery low income鈥� is usually defined by meeting an income test and being eligible for some form of social security.

In the 2024 Federal Budget, affordable housing tenants are now entitled to some assistance with their electricity accounts. As of 1 July 2024, the Federal Government will be extending the Energy Price Relief Plan for another year. The benefit this financial year will be $300. Eligibility has been extended to every household and it is no longer limited to very low-income earners. 

You should not have to apply for it. Your electricity provider should, automatically, pay it to you by giving you a credit of $75 for each of your four quarterly electricity accounts. Check now to ensure that you are receiving this benefit.

Eligibility for Social Security
While most affordable housing tenants earn an income that is sufficient to disqualify them from receiving any social security, there are exceptions to this. The most common exception is having dependent children. You may be eligible for Family Tax Benefit A and/or Family Tax Benefit B.

If you are entitled to a social security payment or benefit, you may be entitled to rebates discussed in my earlier article 鈥� such as the Low Income Household Rebate for electricity accounts (now $350 per year), the NSW Gas Rebate for gas accounts (now $121 per year) and the Energy Supplement for electricity and gas accounts from Centrelink (up to $366.60 per year).  

Finally, look at making a claim with the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance Scheme (EAPA) as it is not subject to the income tests that apply to the rebate schemes. With this scheme, you can now claim up to $500. 

However, this scheme provides a concession and not a rebate. It is discretionary and you do not have an automatic right to it. So, you will need to put some planning and effort into your application, which includes an interview which takes place with a social worker at one of the not-for-profit community organisations that act as agents for the scheme. These include St Vincent de Paul Society, The Salvation Army and Mission Australia.

The aim of the EAPA scheme is to provide very low- and low-income earners a hand up and not a hand out. There is no income test, but you will have to establish that you are in need and that you have already taken reasonable steps to help yourself. 

These reasonable steps include –

• Find out about how your electricity account is calculated, how much electricity you use and how efficient this is compared to other households of the same size. Useful information is provided on the NSW Energy & Water Ombudsman website, and your electricity provider website.聽

• Reduce your electricity use where you can. Aim to reduce it to 2/3 of that used by a household of the same size. This comparison information should be set out in your electricity accounts. Again, useful information about this is provided by the Energy & Water Ombudsman.

• Keep detailed records of your other living expenses and reduce them as much as you can.

In my own case, I have applied for this scheme three times over the last four years. I have been very successful in receiving assistance of $1,000. The process was very time consuming, but it has been a great help to me.

DISCLAIMER

All reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that this information is accurate as at 13 October 2024. Residents should confirm that the rebate or concession they are interested in is still available as they may have changed.