New report reveals one power bill could push people into poverty
A disturbing new report has found that people are being pushed into poverty by surging power bills.
The joint RMIT University and the Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS) study interviewed Victorian who have been impacted by the rising power costs.
The found some people were too worried to turn on their heating, scrimped on food and took showers at local charities to save money on energy.
VCOSS chief executive officer Emma King told the ABC the report showed that some Australians were living in "depression-era" standards.
"When we've got a 114 per cent increase in the cost of energy over the last decade, that's a really serious scenario that households are finding themselves in," Ms King said.
"Our study has found that people are living in abject poverty so they can pay for essential services … and making heartbreaking decisions to go without.
"They've got to make a choice between, do they put the heating on or do they eat for the day? Do they buy books for their children or do they have their gas on?"
The report included many heartbreaking personal stories of the affect high energy prices on their lives, including people who are freezing in their homes because they cannot afford to turn on the heating.
The study made 13 recommendations, including the creation of an independent energy broker to help consumers find the best deal on energy prices.