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Electricity has become a luxury for many poor Sydney-siders


Exodus Foundation
Wednesday, 24 November 2010, 7:03 (EST)
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Electricity has become a luxury for the poorest in our community with many forced to rely on charity to fill the void left in family budgets by sky-rocketing power prices.

Sydney-based charity, The Exodus Foundation, has experienced a sharp increase in demand for its services - an increase that Founder and CEO Rev. Bill Crews attributes largely to electricity price hikes.

"We're now serving nearly a thousand meals a day in our free Restaurant - breakfast, lunch and dinner, every day of the year. Demand has shot up this year. Many people are coming to us because they have no money left for food after paying their electricity bill", said Rev. Crews.

Demand for The Exodus Foundation's food parcel service has also risen steadily, with increasing numbers of people being unable to afford the most basic food staples.

According to Rev. Crews, some families who were already struggling are now simply being priced out of the electricity market.

"The increased demand on our services caused by electricity price hikes has the knock-on effect of stretching our resources", said Rev. Crews. "I'm despairing at what it's going to be like at Christmas. It is already our busiest time of year, but thanks to the power price hikes we're going to be stretched even more than usual."

Rev. Crews says he's not trying to make the power companies out to be wicked, "but the community needs to know that electricity price gouging has unfortunate consequences for the poor and the charities that support them."


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