The issue of prepayment for power is a really hidden part of the energy landscape in Australia. People are doing it really tough trying to stay connected to power.

We visited Parliament House on Ngunnawal and Ngambri country this week with Original Power, researchers Vanessa Napaltjari Davis and Thomas Longden, Kerry Connors from Energy Consumers Australia, and Scotty McDinny from Ngardara Cooperative to talk to elected representatives about the challenges staying connected to essential electricity for more than 15,000 First Nations households across Australia that access power through prepayment supply arrangements.

Prepayment electricity is when you pay for power before you use it.

Scotty says, "It's not like a house in a city where a bill gets sent to you. As soon as that money runs out, your power runs out as well. And once your power got out, your fridge goes out, your medicine goes out, food gets spoiled."

Prepayment metering affects over 65,000 First Nations people across Australia.

“People supplied through prepayment meters don't get good results. They are treated differently. They don't have the protections that somebody living in Sydney or Melbourne does, and it's not good enough,” says Kerry.

Under national electricity laws, disconnection should be a last resort. But for our communities household disconnections happen on average every three days, exposing families to dangerous cold spikes and heat waves.

Scotty says, "In extreme cold weather, extreme hot weather, we need to be able to stay connected."

It’s time for prepayment reform to ensure our people have the same access to reliable, affordable energy as all Australians.

We must all amplify the call for energy justice for prepayment customers.