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Power, gas, water or heating bills
If you're on a low income and have no other way to pay, we may be able to help you with an urgent power, gas or water bill, or the costs for heating or refilling your water tank.
You may have to pay the money back depending on your situation.
You could find yourself in a situation where you have an outstanding power, gas or water bill that you can't pay. You need to talk to the power or water company first to see if you can make a payment arrangement with them.
If this is not possible, we may be able to help if you:
- are 16 or over (if you're 16-18 and have a Youth Service provider, contact Youth Services)
- are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
- normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here
- have an immediate and essential need.
It also depends on:
- how much you and your partner earn
- any money or assets you and your partner have.
Your income will be assessed either weekly or yearly, depending on the kind of help you qualify for. These income and asset limits usually apply:
Income limits
| If you are: | Weekly income before tax is less than |
|---|---|
| Single, 16-17 years | $825.30 |
| Single, 18+ years | $948.50 |
| Couple (with or without children) | $1,377.69 |
| Sole parent (1 child) | $1,150.97 |
| Sole parent (2+ children) | $1,212.61 |
Asset limits
These don't include what you need for day-to-day living, for example your home, car, and some payments after a severe weather event. They do include money in the bank, or things like a caravan or a second property.
| If you are: | Your assets are worth less than |
|---|---|
| single | $1,338.90 |
| couple (with or without children) or sole parent | $2,230.96 |
Generally, we can pay up to $200 to help with:
- an outstanding power, gas or water bill
- reconnecting your electricity, gas or water supply.
Water tank refill
We may be able to help you pay to get your personal water tank refilled and delivery.
You need to be living in either:
- a property you own
- a property you're renting and you're responsible for refilling the water tank.
You can get up to $500 to pay for refill and delivery. You can generally get one payment for water tank refill every 12 months.
Help to keep your family warm
We may be able to help you with the cost of bedding, blankets, curtains or heaters, depending on your circumstances. It may be that:
- your children are unwell
- you can't keep warm in your home
- there is wear and tear to your bedding because of long-term sickness or disability in the family
- a new child has come into the family.
Call us on 0800 88 99 00
We're open:
- Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, and
- Saturdays, 8am to 1pm.
We'll process the application over the phone and let you know if it's approved.
You'll have to provide a statement from your power company. We'll let you know the best way to get this to us.
You may also have to provide other things like a bank statement or payslip. We'll let you know if you need to do this.
If your application's approved, we'll pay the money directly to your power company.