Rodney Stevens

Clarence Valley residents could receive up to $2000 in energy bill relief from the Minns NSW government after it announced an increase in payments to help people in financial hardship.

Part of a jointly funded scheme announced by the Albanese and Minns governments, the Energy Bill Relief Fund will provide financial support to 1.6 million eligible households and 320,000 eligible small businesses.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said the measures would go some way to help easing the cost-of-living pressures facing many residents and families on the Northern Rivers.

“It’s a small but welcome support for many people doing it tough up here after all that we have been through over the past 17 months,” she said.

Ms Saffin said most eligible households and small businesses will automatically receive the energy bill relief from July 31, 2023.

People who don’t automatically receive the energy bill relief are encouraged by the NSW government to apply from August 1, by contacting your energy retailer.

Part of the announcement is the NSW government’s increase to the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance EAPA crisis support payment for vulnerable people struggling to pay their bills, due to short-term financial hardship, crisis, or emergency, such as loss of income, unexpected costs or natural disasters.

Under the bolstered EAPA scheme, the NSW government will increase the payment limits to $500 for both electricity and gas bills, with people eligible to receive the payments twice per financial year, meaning they could receive up to $2000.

If you have a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, DVA Gold Card or your household has life support equipment and you already receive a NSW electricity rebate from your energy retailer, you will automatically receive a quarterly rebate of $125 off your electricity bills from July 31 onwards.

Any household that does not receive an energy rebate but is eligible should apply to their electricity retailer for the payment, which will then be paid automatically.

If you hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, receive Family Tax Benefit A or B or live in embedded networks such as private electricity networks used by apartment blocks and caravan parks, you need to apply for the rebate from August 1.

Customers who currently don’t receive a rebate but receive the Carer Allowance or hold a Low-Income Health Care Card or DVA Gold Card will be contacted by Services Australia or the Department of Veterans Affairs from September with details on how to apply.

Eligible small businesses that use less than 100 kilowatt hours of electricity per year will receive a one-off $650 payment in the 2023/2024 financial year.

Small business owners don’t need to do anything to receive the payment, it will be automatically applied from July 31, if they are eligible.

If you own an eligible small business that is part of a network, such as being located in a shopping centre, you can apply for the rebate from October 2023.