Electricity disconnections are meant to be a last resort in Australia. There are rules designed to protect people who can’t pay electricity bills – retailers are supposed to offer payment plans, hardship support, and only disconnect when there’s no other option. Â
But as households buckle under the combined pressure of rising energy bills and the broader cost-of-living crisis, disconnections are rising.
Nicola Willand, Associate Professor at RMIT University, argues disconnections could just be the tip of the iceberg – an indicator of increasing energy debt and financial stress – which may increase as we electrify everything.
