HARDSHIP UTILITY GRANT
SCHEME — SYNERGY AND HORIZON POWER
401. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the minister representing the
Minister for Energy:
(1) How many
residential disconnection notices have been issued for each month from
September 2020 to August 2021 inclusive to date?
(2) How many residential disconnections have occurred
for each month from September 2020 to August 2021 inclusive to date?
(3) What was the
number of applications received and hardship utility grant scheme payments made
each month from September 2020 to August 2021 inclusive to date?
Hon
ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for notice of the
question. The following information has been provided to me by the Minister for
Energy. The information is substantially set out in tabular form.
I seek leave to have it incorporated
into Hansard.
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
The
requested information for Synergy electricity customers is provided in Table 1
below.
Table 1
|
Month
|
(1) Residential disconnection
notices issued for non-payment
|
(2) Residential disconnections for non-payment
|
(3) Hardship Utility Grant Scheme payments made* (count)
|
(3) Hardship Utility Grant Scheme payments made* (value)
|
|
September 2020
|
0
|
0
|
267
|
$152,804
|
|
October 2020
|
0
|
0
|
535
|
$316,058
|
|
November 2020
|
0
|
0
|
433
|
$258,490
|
|
December 2020
|
0
|
0
|
0**
|
$ – **
|
|
January 2021
|
0
|
0
|
255
|
$152,585
|
|
February 2021
|
0
|
0
|
103
|
$60,194
|
|
March 2021
|
6,464
|
73
|
60
|
$34,270
|
|
April 2021
|
3,280
|
597
|
232
|
$136,317
|
|
May 2021
|
4,080
|
920
|
473
|
$282,104
|
|
June 2021
|
4,805
|
809
|
337
|
$195,938
|
|
July 2021
|
8,168
|
578
|
467
|
$262,787
|
|
August 2021 (to date)
|
520
|
0
|
267
|
$152,804
|
*Synergy does not assess
Hardship Utility Grant Scheme applications, and does not record the number of
applications it refers for assessment.
**December 2020 Hardship
Utility Grant Scheme payments captured in January 2021.
The requested information for
Horizon Power electricity customers is provided in Tables 2 and 3 below.
Table 2
|
Month
|
(1) Residential disconnection notices issued for
non-payment
|
(2) Residential disconnections for non-payment
|
|
September
2020
|
0
|
0
|
|
October
2020
|
0
|
0
|
|
November
2020
|
0
|
0
|
|
December
2020
|
0
|
0
|
|
January
2021
|
0
|
0
|
|
February
2021
|
0
|
0
|
|
March
2021
|
0
|
0
|
|
April
2021
|
173
|
0
|
|
May
2021
|
1,611
|
0
|
|
June
2021
|
1,280
|
288
|
|
July
2021
|
1,404
|
606
|
|
August
2021 (to date)
|
9
|
55
|
Table 3
|
Month
|
(3) Hardship Utility Grant Scheme applications
received
|
(3) Hardship Utility Grant Scheme payments made* (count)
|
(3) Hardship Utility Grant Scheme payments made* (value)
|
|
September
2020
|
31
|
18
|
$15,989
|
|
October
2020
|
38
|
29
|
$23,978
|
|
November
2020
|
20
|
14
|
$9,606
|
|
December
2020
|
17
|
10
|
$8,645
|
|
January
2021
|
23
|
20
|
$17,447
|
|
February
2021
|
22
|
20
|
$16,257
|
|
March
2021
|
44
|
29
|
$23,589
|
|
April
2021
|
26
|
24
|
$21,341
|
|
May
2021
|
55
|
31
|
$19,839
|
|
June
2021
|
83
|
47
|
$45,372
|
|
July
2021
|
85
|
77
|
$55,273
|
|
August
2021 (to date)
|
5
|
0
|
$0
|
It should be noted that between 2011–12
and 2016–17, under the Liberal National Government, the number of
Synergy's residential customers who had their power disconnected
increased by 82.6%.