Disconnected !

The electricity bill for the average household has risen by between four and six dollars per week - and further savage increases are certain in the near future - and yet the rate of disconnection for unpaid bills has fallen.

In the 2007/08 financial year  37,594 premises were disconnected and this decreased to 30,646 in the 2009/10 financial year.   It seems that the electricity authorities are bending over backwards to try and keep the power on to family households.

Every power bill now contains a plea to contact the power company if there is a problem paying the bill - and a range of relief measures will be privately suggested to those that do.   Payment may be deferred for a period of time if that will help, or an arrangement can be entered into whereby small regular payments reduce the outstanding amount - and those who wish may arrange to pay a static amount weekly so that there is no crisis when the quarterly bill arrives.

What frightens both the government and the power suppliers is the prospect of a disaster to a family disconnected for a crippling power bill.    Electricity can be considered one of life's essentials and without it many households are unable to cook meals, wash the kids in hot water - and have to face the danger of lighting the home with candles to survive.    What the media would do with such a story if it turned to tragedy sends a shiver down the spine of those tasked with collecting the money.

Strangely, this very same fear caused relief when it came to disconnection from the water supply for unpaid water bills.   Water is considered an " essential for life " and only partial disconnection occurs.   A mere trickle remains - and that is enough to supply drinking water and the flush of toilets.

It is hard to see how such an arrangement could be applied to electricity, but maybe in the future some sort of flow restriction could reduce the supply to that sufficient to power two or three very low wattage lights.   That would not help with cooking or hot water - but at least it would dramatically improve fire safety.

We live in changing times - and finding remedies for old problems requires innovative, new thinking !