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Where you have a major essential appliance that’s faulty or has broken down in the last twelve months — such as a fridge, washing machine or hot water service — you may be eligible for a Home Wise: Appliance and Infrastructure grant. You can get an application form from a financial counsellor or directly from the Department of Human Services’ Concessions Unit.
Maybe you should make an appointment to speak with a financial counsellor. This is a person whose job it is to help people facing problems such as financial over-commitment (having more debt than you can deal with), threatening letters, harassment by debt collectors, debt recovery through the courts, house eviction, disconnection of gas, electricity, phone and stopping of LPG deliveries. The assistance to you will be free, but sometimes there's a wait before it's possible to get an appointment. To find out about financial counsellors in your part of Victoria, you can ask your company or ring Consumer Affairs Victoria on 1300 558181 or use this directory on the Financial and Consumer Rights Council’s website.
There are ‘no interest’ and ‘low interest’ loan
schemes which may help you obtain more energy efficient appliances.
Under this type of scheme, you can borrow $800 to $1,000 for essential
household appliances. The website of Good Shepherd Youth and Family Services has more information.
There are also ways of getting low cost refrigerators. The Phoenix Fridges scheme
reconditions and retrofits donated fridges to make them energy
efficient and sells them cheaply through Brotherhood of St Laurence
stores.
See an overview of additional assistance schemes
Return to Help with paying bills
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