An energy efficiency program that cut the power bills of struggling households by as much as $350 a year has been axed to help pay for the $53 a year increase in cost of living rebates for concession cardholders.
Bayswater not-for-profit group Environment House was contracted by the State Government to provide energy audits for households struggling to pay their bills.
Its Saving Water and Power ($WaP) program gave households cheap and simple tips on how to reduce energy use, such as draught-proofing, replacing door seals on fridges, replacing light bulbs with more efficient alternatives and better understanding of passive heating and cooling.
Customers were referred to the $WaP program by Synergy and financial counsellors after they had difficulty paying bills.
Program co-ordinator Brenda Conochie said Environment House had a contract with Synergy until the end of the year but was notified at 3pm on Thursday the program would be axed from June 8.
She had employed and trained 13 energy auditors who would now probably lose their jobs.
Evaluation of her program had been hampered because Synergy refused to provide data from assisted households, citing privacy concerns. “We’re just totally in shock,” she said.
The program was funded under the $13 million-a-year hardship efficiency program, which Treasurer Christian Porter axed in Thursday’s Budget.
He told reporters during the Budget lock-up the funding would be redirected to the Government’s revamped cost of living assistance package for concession cardholders, which effectively boosts payments by $53 a year for 348,000 eligible households.
“We considered that money would be better spent directly targeting the bills of low-income earners and directly giving them a rebate off their bills rather than getting advice from persons employed by the civil servants which they probably didn’t really need,” Mr Porter said on Thursday.
Yesterday, he said: “We have taken the decision that $50 million (over four years) is better spent on directly subsidising people’s electricity bills.
“The Government, through the CoLA payment, is increasing the subsidy for one third of WA households compared to the 3000 people getting assistance under the HEP, with negligible results.”
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said the increased cost of living allowance was worth “a can of Coke at the deli once a fortnight”.
“It is not going to solve the cost of living problems for families in WA.”
He also sought to highlight an assumed 25 per cent future increase in electricity prices.
