Priority #BetterTogether - Cost of Living Supports
Increasing cost-of-living pressures are placing greater pressure on energy consumers, particularly those already facing vulnerable circumstances. Through the Priority #BetterTogether – Cost of Living Supports, Energy Charter signatories have committed to align action on a range of relief, support and prevention measures (the PSR framework developed by the Energy Equity Program of GEER) that assist customers and communities facing vulnerable circumstances as cost-of living pressures rise.
This includes:
- The Energy Charter Statement of Support (SoS)
- The Concessions Awareness and Engagement Campaign 2023
- Community Capability Building through the expansion of the #BetterTogether Voices for Power initiative
Energy Charter Statement of Support (SoS)
Why: To assure customers and communities that the energy industry is working together to address cost-of-living pressures, Energy Charter signatories have come together to align support for customers and communities experiencing vulnerability through an Industry Statement of Support (SoS).
What: The SoS outlines a range of initiatives against three core commitments:
- We will provide relief to customers to alleviate cost-of-living pressures
- We will support customers to manage cost-of-living pressures by building resilience, capacity and capability
- We will mitigate future cost-of-living pressures for customers by proactively addressing risk-factors and structural/systematic issues
The SoS commitments are in addition to individual programs and initiatives within each business and complement existing collaborations, such as the Priority #BTs Landholder + Community Social Licence and the Customer Code Knock to Stay Connected.
Importantly, the SoS is backed by a commitment to transparency and accountability on action and outcomes through the Energy Charter annual Disclosure and decentralised accountability process.
Who: AGIG, APA Group, Ausgrid, Aurora Energy, CS Energy, Endeavour Energy, EnergyAustralia, Energy Qld, Essential Energy, Horizon Power, Jacana Energy, Jemena, Powerlink Queensland, SA Power Networks, TasNetworks and Transgrid.
Our Initiatives
Concessions Awareness and Engagement Campaign
A large proportion of energy consumers are missing out on the energy concessions they are entitled to. Concessions provide direct and targeted relief on rising energy bills, a significant contributor to household cost-of-living expenses.
There is an opportunity for the Energy Charter signatories to show leadership and collaborate on action to support customers and communities in vulnerable circumstances.
Community Capability Building – Voices for Power
Expansion of the successful #BetterTogether ‘Voices for Power’ train-the-trainer initiative to South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania, including training and mentoring a cohort of “Community Energy Trainers” who will deliver culturally appropriate energy literacy workshops to diverse communities.
Uniting Energy Support Program
The Uniting Energy Support Program initiative was designed to provide ongoing financial counselling support for energy customers facing vulnerable circumstances. This includes offering free tailored, one-on-one advice and assistance to help navigate bills, energy efficiency and access to supports.