They (or you) need to ring the energy retailer or water corporation to talk about their situation.
Under the Energy Retail Code, energy retailers must do certain things to help a domestic customer who tells the retailer they don’t think they can pay a bill by the due date. These things include assessing the customer’s capacity to pay, offering them payment assistance, providing them with information on concessions and other available assistance, and giving advice by phone about energy efficiency and the availability of an independent financial counsellor.
For water customers, the Customer Service Code – Metropolitan Retail and Regional Water Businesses and the Rural Water Customer Service Code each set out requirements for flexible payment plans, specific assistance in accordance with the customer’s capacity to pay and hardship policies.