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Cara Bush is one of many Australians who has struggled to pay her power bills in the past, and is worried about the upcoming rise in electricity prices.
Key points:
- The SA energy ombudsman says people are worried about the rise in power prices from July 1
- Cara Bush has struggled with paying the bills before and says the impending price rise is an added stress
- The ombudsman says customers should call their retailer directly or shop around for a better offer
Ms Bush said she was feeling the pressure after the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) confirmed electricity prices would increase by between 20 and 25 per cent from July 1.
"It's difficult to see another rise during winter ... and it's concerning it just keeps going up," she said.
"I'm someone who is working right now ... but even then I'm finding it hard to keep on top of everything."
Ms Bush is not alone in the struggle, with the AER reporting a 19 per cent increase in residential electricity customers accessing hardship programs from January to March this year.
Living in South Australia's Riverland region, she said she was fortunate to have her dogs at home to keep her warm at night, instead of switching on the heater.
"I also worry about the elderly ... and homeless people who already find it hard to keep warm in winter," she said.
Price hike could spark new offers
The SA energy and water ombudsman, Sandy Canale, said he had seen an increase in people contacting his office to find out what could be done to ease the price pressure.
"The latest round of increases will have a significant impact on customers, particularly those who are already struggling," he said.
Mr Canale suggested speaking directly to energy retailers and looking at other offers could make a big difference during the stressful time.
"Customers should be checking the notification they get from their retailer which should refer to the reference price," he said.
The ombudsman said the reference price set by the AER was known as the default market offer, and no-one should pay above that figure.
"The notification gives you an indication of where the increases will take you," he said.
"If your offer is above that reference price, call your retailer and find out if there's a better offer for you," he said.
"You might also want to shop around and see what other offers may be available."
The AER runs an independent website called Energy Made Easy, which Mr Canale suggested could help people discover alternative offers to bring their power prices down.
Retailers have to help in hard times
The ombudsman said anyone in a difficult financial situation should contact their retailer in the first instance to find out more about hardship programs.
"Retailers are obligated to have these programs in place ... don't be afraid to have a conversation and look at options like a payment plan," he said.
"This is a regulated standard and it's there to protect people.
"If you have difficulty accessing those services or you find they're not listening, we are here to help.
Ms Bush said she and her partner shopped around for a better energy offer some months ago and it had already paid off.
"We were getting $1,500-a-quarter energy bills previously, but we changed companies and it's actually halved our bills," she said.
"Lots of people are feeling the pinch ... I just hope things go down soon."
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