Liberal Government provides electricity concession for medical heating

The Hodgman Liberal Government continues to invest in essential services and supporting vulnerable Tasmanians.

Several months ago I was approached by the Lupus Association of Tasmania to ask that a Medical Heating electricity concession be put in place.

For people with Lupus, and other medical conditions, maintaining the appropriate temperature in their home is an important part of managing their health. This can lead to high power bills due to a constant reliance on heating and cooling appliances.

I am very pleased to say that both myself and the Treasurer Peter Gutwein agreed that it was both fair and affordable for a Medical Heating concession to be implemented. This concession expands on the Medical Cooling concession which has been in place for some time.

The concession is a fixed rate for each day of the year which amounts to $137 dollars per year. The concession will be available for people with an identified medical need for heating to manage their condition.

To apply for the concession, customers can fill out the application form available from Aurora Energy, or for more information visit http://www.concessions.tas.gov.au/concessions/electricity_and_heating.

In the recently released State Budget the Liberal Government showed the benefits of maintaining fiscal discipline so we can invest in essential services like health and in concessions to support vulnerable members of our community.

This year, the State Government will provide around $300 million worth of concessions to Tasmanians.
Michael Ferguson, Minister for Health