Latest news with #energydebt
ABC News
43 minutes ago
- Business
- ABC News
Calls for energy debts to big companies to be wiped
As parts of the country feel the bite of a cold snap a new report is warning hundreds of thousands of Australians are in debt over energy bills. Anglicare has released a new report finding households on minimum are struggling with as little as $33 for left over after paying for rent, food and transport. They're now calling for more to be done including debt forgiveness for those doing it tough.
The Australian
7 hours ago
- Business
- The Australian
Aussies on minimum wage left with $33 after rent, food and transport, Anglicare finds
A worker on the minimum wage has just $33 left over after paying for basic weekly living expenses like rent, food and transport, while a two-child family with two parents working full-time would only have $5 remaining each week, 'bleak' new research has found. Findings recorded by not-for-profit body Anglicare in its 2025 Cost of Living Index found that since 2023, a worker on the minimum wage would have $24 less left over after paying for basic expenses, largely reflecting the 'major increases in asking rents'. The situation was even more startling for single parents looking after a child. The report states that they would have just $1 left over for bills and discretionary expenses, even with social supports like the Family Tax Benefit and the Commonwealth Rent Assistance, which would beef-up their budget by $227. New research from Anglicare found a worker on minimum wage would have just $33 left over after paying for weekly living expenses like transport, food and rent. Picture: Supplied Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers said the results of the Cost of Living Index were 'bleak,' and said low-earning Australians were struggling to put money away for bills. Her comments highlight findings from Anglicare which 331,750 Australians have accrued more than $300m in energy debt. The number of households with unpaid electricity and gas bills totalling over $3000 had also surged by 11.8 per cent year-on-year. 'After paying for the basics, minimum wage workers are left with almost nothing. In many cases, there's no money left for energy bills at all,' she said. 'We're seeing more people trapped in energy debt. They are skipping meals, going without heating, and falling behind on bills they'll never be able to repay.' Single parents with kids would have just $1 left over for bills and discretionary expenses, even with social supports. Picture: NewsWire/ Nicholas Eagar The report noted that despite hardship programs offered by retailers, the system needed 'structural reform,' with struggling households unable to 'pay what they do not have'. Ms Chambers said low-earning Aussies were being 'forced into payment plans they can't sustain,' and called on the government to provide new energy debt relief for people in hardship. 'People are forced into payment plans they can't sustain. They carry energy debt from one bill to the next with no chance of catching up, even though energy retailers are making record profits,' she said. 'Energy is not a luxury. It is essential to running a household, staying healthy, and living with dignity. It's time to rein in profiteering and make sure no one is left in the dark.' Substantial increases in rent were a key reason for the reduced amount of disposable income for low paid workers. Picture: NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw The report also made a series of recommendations targeting the escalating grocery costs, rent increases and increasing support for households in energy debt. Among them include expanding home energy upgrades like rooftop solar and batteries, or insulating to provide long-term support, Commonwealth pressure on states and territories to introduce caps on rental increases, a commitment to boosting social and affordable housing by 25,000 homes a year, and rules on manning excessive pricing by supermarket giants. Jessica Wang NewsWire Federal Politics Reporter Jessica Wang is a federal politics reporter for NewsWire based in the Canberra Press Gallery. She previously covered NSW state politics for the Wire and has also worked at and Mamamia covering breaking news, entertainment, and lifestyle. @imjesswang_ Jessica Wang
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Aussies on minimum wage left with $33 after rent, food and transport, Anglicare finds
A worker on the minimum wage has just $33 left over after paying for basic weekly living expenses like rent, food and transport, while a two-child family with two parents working full-time would only have $5 remaining each week, 'bleak' new research has found. Findings recorded by not-for-profit body Anglicare in its 2025 Cost of Living Index found that since 2023, a worker on the minimum wage would have $24 less left over after paying for basic expenses, largely reflecting the 'major increases in asking rents'. The situation was even more startling for single parents looking after a child. The report states that they would have just $1 left over for bills and discretionary expenses, even with social supports like the Family Tax Benefit and the Commonwealth Rent Assistance, which would beef-up their budget by $227. Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers said the results of the Cost of Living Index were 'bleak,' and said low-earning Australians were struggling to put money away for bills. Her comments highlight findings from Anglicare which 331,750 Australians have accrued more than $300m in energy debt. The number of households with unpaid electricity and gas bills totalling over $3000 had also surged by 11.8 per cent year-on-year. 'After paying for the basics, minimum wage workers are left with almost nothing. In many cases, there's no money left for energy bills at all,' she said. 'We're seeing more people trapped in energy debt. They are skipping meals, going without heating, and falling behind on bills they'll never be able to repay.' The report noted that despite hardship programs offered by retailers, the system needed 'structural reform,' with struggling households unable to 'pay what they do not have'. Ms Chambers said low-earning Aussies were being 'forced into payment plans they can't sustain,' and called on the government to provide new energy debt relief for people in hardship. 'People are forced into payment plans they can't sustain. They carry energy debt from one bill to the next with no chance of catching up, even though energy retailers are making record profits,' she said. 'Energy is not a luxury. It is essential to running a household, staying healthy, and living with dignity. It's time to rein in profiteering and make sure no one is left in the dark.' The report also made a series of recommendations targeting the escalating grocery costs, rent increases and increasing support for households in energy debt. Among them include expanding home energy upgrades like rooftop solar and batteries, or insulating to provide long-term support, Commonwealth pressure on states and territories to introduce caps on rental increases, a commitment to boosting social and affordable housing by 25,000 homes a year, and rules on manning excessive pricing by supermarket giants.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Energy Debt with Iona Bain
Here are some handy links with more information on managing your energy debt:Here, external is a link to Citizens Advice where you can find a list of grants that are available from different energy providers. Here, external is a link to a USwitch guide on how to read you energy bill, including where to find the amount of energy you've used.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Almost 400,000 households in arrears as energy debt increases, research shows
More households in Scotland are in arrears on their energy bills, with research showing there could be almost 400,000 households in debt. The latest Consumer Scotland Energy Tracker found 15% of respondents to a survey said they are in energy debt or arrears – the equivalent of 383,000 households. The overall number of households in debt is up from 9% last year. The survey, which was carried out in January and February 2025, also found the proportion of consumers who said they had been put on a prepayment meter due to debts had more than doubled in 12 months, going from 16% to 34%. A third of people (33%) said they could not heat their home to a comfortable level because of worries about the cost – with this level said to be similar to the previous year. Meanwhile, 64% said they had had to cut back on spending in other areas to help afford energy bills – with this also similar to last year. The latest findings of the tracker, set up by Consumer Scotland to monitor public perceptions on energy costs, were released ahead of Friday's announcement of the energy price cap. It is expected regulator Ofgem will lower the cap, which sets a maximum price for energy bills on standard variable tariffs. Despite the increasing numbers of Scots in debt, the research indicates people are finding it easier to keep up with their energy bills than was the case during the peak of the cost-of-living crisis in 2022 and 2023. The latest survey found 16% of respondents – the equivalent to 393,000 households – said it is difficult to keep up with energy bills, down from 26% in 2024 and 35% in the winter of 2022 to 2023. Consumer Scotland director of research and analysis David Eiser said: 'Affordability of energy bills has improved since the peak of the cost-of-living crisis, but challenges remain acute for some groups, and there are ongoing legacies in terms of energy debt and anxiety for consumers.' He said this 'underlines the need for further energy bill support targeted at those consumers who need it most'. Mr Eiser said the Scottish and UK governments should 'provide more targeted affordability support for consumers that need it the most as quickly as practical'. He added: 'As well as reforms to affordability support, a number of broader changes are under way in the energy retail market. 'These include a growing number of tariffs that provide opportunities for consumers to reduce their bills by varying when or how they use energy.'
