❓ Hon. Linda Savage questions the Minister for Energy regarding a significant increase in Synergy disconnections despite the HUGS program, inquiring about the minister's actions and the impact of electricity price rises. The Minister acknowledges the social cost of price increases and outlines measures taken to mitigate disconnections.
AnsweredQoN 258Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
SYNERGY —
DISCONNECTIONS
258. Hon LINDA SAVAGE to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the 82 per cent increase
in disconnections by Synergy between 2008–09 and 2010–11.
(1) Why has the
number of disconnections increased so dramatically, when HUGS is supposed to be
the program to prevent disconnections?
(2) What specific
action did the minister take to reduce disconnections when he discovered the
numbers had increased so sharply?
(3) Given that a
large number of the increased disconnections will have resulted from people
being unable to pay the sudden increases in electricity prices, does the
minister agree that the price rises should have been introduced at a far slower
rate; and, if not, why not?
DISCONNECTIONS
258. Hon LINDA SAVAGE to the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the 82 per cent increase
in disconnections by Synergy between 2008–09 and 2010–11.
(1) Why has the
number of disconnections increased so dramatically, when HUGS is supposed to be
the program to prevent disconnections?
(2) What specific
action did the minister take to reduce disconnections when he discovered the
numbers had increased so sharply?
(3) Given that a
large number of the increased disconnections will have resulted from people
being unable to pay the sudden increases in electricity prices, does the
minister agree that the price rises should have been introduced at a far slower
rate; and, if not, why not?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the honourable
member for the question. The number of disconnections has increased.
Those sorts of factors contributed to our decision to slow down the processes,
as I have said. Without a doubt, the increase in electricity prices has come at
a social cost. I am very conscious of that, and the government is very
conscious of that. That is why we have slowed down the process. We have
increased hardship allowances significantly. At the same time, from a minister's
perspective, I made it quite clear that Synergy—it has been very good
at this—was to ensure that disconnection is an extreme last resort.
Last year I spent a morning at the
call centre listening to people who rang up who were in hardship, and who were
facing the prospect of disconnection. We have a counselling process to ensure
that they are assisted in the payment of bills. They can have a staggered bill
so that they might have additional time before they have to pay the bill. They
might pay in instalments. Synergy has extended a raft of initiatives to ensure
that people who are genuinely struggling have their electricity cut off only as
a last resort. We will do all we possibly can, Synergy will do all that it
possibly can and the financial counsellors will do all that they possibly can
to assist people before it gets to that point. As a state government we are
conscious of that. As I said, that is why we increased the hardship allowance,
and that is exactly why we have slowed the process down in terms of increased
tariffs.
member for the question. The number of disconnections has increased.
Those sorts of factors contributed to our decision to slow down the processes,
as I have said. Without a doubt, the increase in electricity prices has come at
a social cost. I am very conscious of that, and the government is very
conscious of that. That is why we have slowed down the process. We have
increased hardship allowances significantly. At the same time, from a minister's
perspective, I made it quite clear that Synergy—it has been very good
at this—was to ensure that disconnection is an extreme last resort.
Last year I spent a morning at the
call centre listening to people who rang up who were in hardship, and who were
facing the prospect of disconnection. We have a counselling process to ensure
that they are assisted in the payment of bills. They can have a staggered bill
so that they might have additional time before they have to pay the bill. They
might pay in instalments. Synergy has extended a raft of initiatives to ensure
that people who are genuinely struggling have their electricity cut off only as
a last resort. We will do all we possibly can, Synergy will do all that it
possibly can and the financial counsellors will do all that they possibly can
to assist people before it gets to that point. As a state government we are
conscious of that. As I said, that is why we increased the hardship allowance,
and that is exactly why we have slowed the process down in terms of increased
tariffs.
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