Hundreds of thousands of Australians are missing out on concessions on power bills – possibly because they don’t know they’re eligible for them.
A study released this week by the Consumer Policy Research Centre estimated how many people were claiming concession or rebate schemes available across all jurisdictions bar Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The paper found that about 41 per cent of eligible residents in the ACTweren’t receiving the concessions.
A utility subsidy in the nation’s capital is worth $750 per year and is reserved for concession card holders.
The next-largest number of people missing out was in South Australia, where 38 per cent of eligible consumers weren’t receiving rebates they were entitled to.
In South Australia, rebates of up to $242 per year are available for those experiencing difficulty paying their bills – up almost $10 from the year prior due to indexation.
In New South Wales, 35 per cent aren’t claiming a rebate.
The Low Income Household Rebate was introduced to help low-income NSW households cover the costs of their energy bills.
In Queensland, 29 per cent of eligible customers were estimated to be missing out on rebates of up to $453 on electricity and gas.
Eligible concession card holders there can access $372.20 in rebates for electricity prices and $80.77 for gas.
It was estimated that in Tasmania about 19 per cent of those eligible for the state’s one-off winter energy assistance package were missing out.
Some 93 per cent of Victorians were estimated to claim a concession on their electricity, 88 per cent on gas bill concessions and 78 per cent on their water bill.
However, the Consumer Policy Research Centre suggested it was likely underestimated how many missed out.
The research comes after the federal budget warned power bills would rise by more than 50 per cent over the coming two years.
Gas prices are forecast to jump by 40 per cent.
Source: 7 News