Jim Anderton

Wellington, Aug 5 NZPA - New Zealand is in the grip of an electricity poverty crisis, says Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton.

The Wigram MP reported today record numbers of people were coming to see him because they couldn't afford their power bills.

Among them were:

* A solo mother with an 11-month-old baby. She had a $369 bill for four weeks. She has a wood burner but can't afford to buy wood. She lives in a state house and her baby has certified respiratory illnesses;

* a solo mother with four children with a $400 bill for four weeks, also living in a state house with paint peeling off the walls because of mould;

* a superannuitant, living on his own, with a $205 power bill;

* a young couple in a state house with only a wall heater. Their power bill was $400 for four weeks.

"What is a solo mum with four kids meant to do with a power bill of $400 for four weeks?" Mr Anderton asked.

"All four children have recurrent upper and lower respiratory tract infections -- that's what happens when you have electricity poverty," he said.

"There is no other expense that is similar...a seasonal spike that is an unavoidable expense, unpredictable and sometimes quite extreme in the context of a family budget."

Mr Anderton said there were alternatives.

The state of Victoria provided low income households with more than $1 billion a year in concessions for essential services, and in Britain the government provided a winter fuel payment of NZ$750 for pensioners over 60 and NZ$1200 for those over 80.

"We need urgent intervention to help New Zealanders," he said.

"Energy prices have been rising steadily for around 15 years. That has now combined with a very cold couple of months. The result is electricity poverty and real hardship."