In 2024 Original Power, the First Nations not-for-profit, launched a national study, supported by Energy Consumers Australia, examining the experiences of energy insecurity for customers who access energy services through pre-payment arrangements. To ensure the research is First Nations-led and robust, the work is supported by research partners at Western Sydney University and First Nations’ research partner organisations located in the various Australian jurisdictions in which pre-payment operates, including Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Northern Queensland. The research is now underway and will identify proposals for potential policy reform that better supports First Nations energy customers’ ability to access affordable, reliable energy and stay connected to essential energy services. Throughout April 2025, we are inviting representative bodies and service providers working with communities that prepay for electricity to register to participate in an online interview about your experiences. Organisations can nominate representatives who can answer questions on: - Your organisational experience supporting prepayment customers by providing advocacy, advice and referrals, other services or material support and
- whether your organisation has a scheme targeted at helping people with energy insecurity or financial hardship related to energy affordability.
The nominee will also be asked about their awareness of: - any support programs that help people with electricity affordability or staying connected,
- any electricity consumer protections or other policy, legislative or regulatory mechanisms that could be implemented that could assist prepayment customers and;
- any other recommendations for improving outcomes for First Nations customers on pre-payment arrangements.
Your nominee can register for the study here. Surveys are online and take less than 30 minutes. As part of this registration process, we will provide further information on the study, ask some questions about your nominee, and ask them to provide their consent to participate in the survey. We will then email the nominee to schedule a time for the interview/survey. These will be conducted online via Zoom. Those who complete the survey will be offered reimbursement for their time in the form of a $30 grocery voucher. The study is being conducted by a team of Western Sydney University researchers in partnership with Original Power and Indigenous Research Partner organisations in each pre-payment jurisdiction. The project is funded by Energy Consumers Australia as part of the Electricity Advocacy Grants scheme. For further information, contact: Dr. Thomas Longden, Senior Research Fellow, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University, t.longden@westernsydney.edu.au This study has been approved by the Western Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee. The Approval number is H16215. From SAFCA: You are welcome to sign up to be part of this research independently, as per the process above. Original Power have also offered the option for a few SAFCA members who want to provide feedback about energy prepayment to all meet together with Original Power for a 30 minute teams meeting. If you are interested in being included in this small group meeting, please email kate@safca.org.au by Thursday 24th April. | 
