The Utility Hardship Package was created to provide assistance to households at risk of disconnection from essential services due to financial hardship.

The package provides these households with immediate financial assistance and works with them to reduce any future risk of disconnection by identifying energy-saving options.

Help through the Hardship Assistance Package can only be accessed by those:

• who are referred by an electricity retailer (such As Synergy or Horizon Power) to an accredited financial advisor; and
• who are assessed by an accredited advisor as being in financial hardship.

The Utility Hardship Package has two components:

• Hardship Utilities Grant Scheme (HUGS)
  This scheme can provide a one-off grant of up to 85% of the amount that a household owes to an electricity retailer.
  
• Hardship Efficiency Program (HEP)
  Under this program, rebates are provided for certain energy-efficiency equipment. Energy audits are also offered to help reduce energy consumption and risk of future disconnection.

Hardship Policy

A government inter-agency working group was established in June 2007 to provide Government with advice on the issues surrounding essential utility services financial hardship and recommend ways to improve the Government’s hardship policies and programs. Findings from the working group's discussion paper, final report and public submissions will inform the Government's hardship policy.