By PAUL MILLAR
STRUGGLING Geelong families are going without food so they can scrape together enough money to prevent utility suppliers from disconnecting services, according to support agencies.
The agencies said they were struggling to cope with the fallout from the disconnection of gas, water and electricity supplies across the region.
Soaring utility costs are biting across the state, with 58,000 gas and electricity users cut off in Victoria in last year.
The Energy and Water Ombudsman told the Independent 578 Geelong households faced ‘’imminent disconnection” between 14 November and 15 January.
The companies cut off power to 106 homes over the same time, the ombudsman reported.
The Salvation Army said job cuts and rising prices were starting to hit hard, with families who had never previously suffered financial hardship now appealing for help.
Local welfare agencies were aware of the hardship before the Essential Services Commission this week revealed that Victoria had recorded its highest rate of disconnections.
Jo McMahon, a financial counsellor with The Salvation Army, said Geelong was “struggling”.
“After people pay their basic bills there’s nothing left for food. It’s a horrible situation,” she said.
“We’re experiencing a large number of people struggling to meet their power bills and more and more people are facing disconnection.
“We have elderly people going without food so they can pay their bills.”
“I’m seeing more and more people coming in with bills they cannot manage.’’
Bethany Community Support’s Grant Boyd said the problem appeared ongoing rather than occurring in a sudden surge.
Families often had to choose whether to go without food or power, he said.
“That’s a terrible situation for people to be in. We often have families with children who go to school without breakfast.
“Geelong’s doing it tough at the moment in some areas. We need a more-understanding approach by the utility providers.”
Financial and Consumer Rights Council’s Bernadette Pasco said rising utility prices were hitting hardest some of the most vulnerable people in society.
“Older people in particular are experiencing fuel poverty in a fairly affluent country,” she said.
