Cranbourne suburbs residents have taken advantage of the Power Saving Bonus as 14,467 requests for the $250 cheque were received to assist with living pressures.
The Andrews Labor Government has helped ease the cost of living for more than one million Victorian households with $250 directly into their pockets through the fourth round of the Power Saving Bonus.
Cranbourne (3318), Cranbourne East (3910), Cranbourne West (3132), Cranbourne North (3410) and Cranbourne South (697) collectively led the pack by a long stretch with 14,467 requests, surpassing the 8074 requests from Clyde and Clyde North.
Narre Warren, Narre Warren North, Narre Warren South and Narre Warren East totalled 8475 requests, while Berwick residents totalled 7645, Hampton Park 3540, Lynbrook 1157, Botanic Ridge 1056, Tooradin 191 and Cannons Creek 77.
In Dandenong, Dandenong North and Dandenong South, 7787 residents took advantage of the Power Saving Bonus. There were 3426 requests from Endeavour Hills, 1491 in Doveton and 1565 in Hallam.
The latest round of the program has seen 40 per cent of applicants find a better energy deal – with thousands of Victorians choosing to switch and save by changing their energy deal through the Victorian Energy Compare website.
“The best way to lower energy bills is to look for a better offer – that’s why we’re encouraging Victorians to take advantage of another round of the Power Saving Bonus to make sure they are on the best deal ahead of winter,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said.
In addition to Victorians comparing their energy online, more than 17,000 households have received the $250 Power Saving Bonus through a community outreach partner, with 73 per cent of these applicants receiving additional energy affordability advice.
Applications for the payment can be made through the Victorian Energy Compare website, where customers can quickly and easily find the best energy offers in their areas.
The Energy Assistance Program is a free service providing energy consumers experiencing hardship with one-on- one assistance and has helped over 500 applicants to navigate the energy market, apply for eligible grants and concessions, find and switch to better offers and address billing errors.
For those without internet access, over-the-phone and in-person support is available through one of the Community Outreach Partners, including Brotherhood of St Laurence, Ethnic Community Council Victoria, Good Shepherd, State Trustees and hundreds of Neighbourhood Houses across Victoria.
Victorians can also save on their household energy bills through the $1.3 billion Solar Homes Program.
Households that accessed both solar panel and hot water rebates saved up to $1,500 on their annual energy bill.
Victoria has cut its emissions by more than any other state, tripled the amount of renewable energy and created thousands of jobs – but there is more to do, with an ambitious renewable energy target of 95 per cent by 2035.
“We’re helping Victorians take more control over their energy bills and helping to bring down the cost of power, with our record investment in renewables and bringing back state owned government energy through the SEC,” said Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio.
To help meet this target, the Labor Government is reviving the State Electricity Commission to replace unreliable, privatised coal with clean, government-owned, renewable energy to drive down energy costs and help create 59,000 jobs.
