Almost $22 million in electricity and gas concessions would be returned to Western Australians with special needs over the coming year, Fuel and Energy Minister Geoff Gallop said today.
"About 180,000 Western Australians whose circumstances require them to have special assistance will benefit from the concessions through dependent child rebates and supply charge rebates," Dr Gallop said.
The Minister said the rebates would be granted to Senior's Card holders, pensioners, the unemployed and people in other rebate categories.
"The Government recognises that in tough economic times certain groups of people need extra help over and above the savings which will flow to all Western Australians from the Government's decision not to increase domestic energy tariffs this year," he said.
Dr Gallop said that in addition, $400,000 would be provided for home energy advice and assistance to promote energy conservation as a way of reducing home energy bills.
"The program of advice and assistance will be an expansion of SECWA's customer advisory service and will involve energy advisers providing advice on energy consumption and energy conservation.
"Initially the advisers will help senior citizens, people on low incomes and people with disabilities. They will also speak to community groups about household energy conservation," Dr Gallop said.
He said the service would enhance the work of SECWA's Energy Information Centre, which was currently handling an average of more than 3,000 customer inquiries each month.
Most of the inquiries to the centre - almost 40 per cent - were about domestic space heating, about 30 per cent concerned hot water systems and cooking appliances and the remainder were general inquiries and air-conditioning inquiries.
