The number of Australians asking one of the country’s biggest energy providers for help has almost doubled in the past two years, the latest evidence of the cost of living crisis.
An extra 27,000 customers joined Origin’s customer hardship programs in the last financial year alone, according to information the company supplied to a Senate committee overnight.
The 38 per cent increase came after an extra 13,000 asked for assistance the previous year, meaning the total number has jumped from 58,000 in 2022 to 98,000 this June.
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It’s just the latest sign of Australian families doing it tough, coming hot on the heels of Finder data showing one in eight Australians went without heating “all the time”, while a further 36 per cent avoid using the heater as often as they could.
Origin told the Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living its numbers couldn’t be accurately compared before 2022 but shared some striking pre-COVID figures.
Leading up to the pandemic, only about 44,000 customers were making use of the hardship program, which offers payment plans and other support measures to help people stay connected.
The figures are just as concerning when you look at the total money being handed over to help keep those struggling families on the grid.
Origin – which posted a net profit of $747 million in the six months to December, up from $44 million – said it provided about $90 million in financial support over the past three financial years, compared to an expected $50 million this financial year alone.
Its customers’ price crunch woes have been echoed across other companies.
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Ten thousand AGL customers joined its financial hardship program in the past year and Energy Australia said it was getting 1000 bill relief calls every weekday.
That’s even as the federal and state governments work to help ease the pressure as inflation continues to rise.
The start of the new financial year brought with it $300 rebates for all Australians, split into quarterly payments.
But, according to Finder, the electricity bill’s arrival is still in the top three most stressful experiences for about a quarter of Australians.
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