Findings from the Government's Electricity Pricing Review were released on Tuesday and reveal the price of power has risen by 79 percent since the 1990s with 103,000 households spending more than 10 per cent of their income on power.

Grey Power Federation NZ Inc National President, Mac Welch, is sadly not surprised by the findings.

“Many years ago, Grey Power identified, as a key priority, the need for a reliable source of low-cost electricity. Since our inception in the 1980s, our research has raised concerns about this matter which we have repeatedly voiced to Parliament, and now the rising cost of electricity has become a major issue for many, particularly for the vulnerable such as children, the sick and the elderly.”

“It was these very concerns that had Grey Power take the unusual step of partnering up with Pulse Energy in 2013 to provide a power scheme for Grey Power members at more affordable prices.”

“While we feel that the Winter Energy Subsidy will prove beneficial to seniors over the winter months, elderly feel the cold more than most and there are many grandparents raising grandchildren leaving them covering higher power bills outside of this 6-month period”, said Mr Welch. "We are hopeful that, together with the steps that Government decide to implement following this review, our Grey Power Electricity scheme helps to cover that void."

ends

© Scoop Media