Victorians seeking help with their struggle to pay for electricity have seen their average energy bill debts blow out to almost $2,500 an increase of nearly $750 since 2021, a new report has found.
The Consumer Action Law Centre report, published on Thursday, found issues with energy companies not informing households of financial hardship entitlements and pressuring them into committing to unaffordable payment plans.
It found the average energy bill debt for Victorians calling the National Debt Helpline last year was $2,459 a 43% increase from the centres last report, which was released in 2021.
The average fortnightly income of callers to the helpline was $967, with the centre arguing that Centrelink payments are insufficient to cover e…
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