AS winter approaches, Uniting is encouraging those that will need help with their power bills to reach out for one-on-one support before their situation gets stressful.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re set to find challenges when covering the costs of your power use, The Uniting Energy Assistance Program will pair eligible people, like low-income earners and older residents, with advisors who can teach skills to reduce bills, improve energy efficiency, locate best-value providers, and navigate payment planning.<\/p>\n
Advisors will also help their clients apply for grants and any rebates they may be eligible for.<\/p>\n
Senior manager of Uniting\u2019s Energy and Financial Literacy Program, Matt Cairns, said many financial counsellors report energy bills as the main cause for stress.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe energy market can be really confusing. When people are faced with high bills and fall into debt, they often don\u2019t know where to turn for support,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people are struggling to catch up with their bills, but we also see elderly clients in winter who stop using their heating altogether because they are worried about the cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat can seriously affect their health and welfare, and we want to avoid that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Cairns has seen clients use credit cards and payday lenders to pay energy bills, which can create further debts down the line.<\/p>\n
His team wants to help others before that happens.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrevention is far better than cure.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AS winter approaches, Uniting is encouraging those that will need help with their power bills to reach out for one-on-one support before their situation gets stressful. If you\u2019re set to find challenges when covering the costs of your power use, The Uniting Energy Assistance Program will pair eligible people, like low-income earners and older residents, […]<\/p>\n