<
https://theconversation.com/nzs-big-chill-was-an-early-winter-warning-power-should-be-subsidised-for-struggling-households-229795>
"Last week’s headlines warning of electricity shortfalls brought the issue of
access to energy into (increasingly chilly) homes around the country.
The threat of power cuts due to an unseasonable cold snap and low wind
generation was averted by a nationwide effort to reduce consumption. But winter
has not even begun in earnest.
Ensuring households can access fuel to warm living areas of the home has been
ranked a basic human right by scholars, advocates and some at the United
Nations. In a recent survey in the United Kingdom, 97% of survey respondents
classified it as a “necessity” to live an adequate life.
And yet an estimated 40,000 New Zealand households had their power cut due to
unpaid bills in 2023. And one in five had trouble paying their monthly power
bill.
How have we ended up with so many people unable to access such a basic
necessity – particularly when energy companies are making near-record margins?
Meridian, Contact, Genesis and Mercury made a combined NZ$2.7 billion profit in
the 2023 financial year.
The answer goes back to New Zealand’s market structures and the fact so many
basic necessities – food, housing and electricity – are provided by private
companies."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
