Everything you need to know about the Winter Energy Payment

Winter is almost here. For many households across New Zealand, this means higher energy bills as we switch on the heaters and electric blankets in an effort to stay warm as the chilly weather settles in.

To help offset these costs, the government introduced the Winter Energy Payment initiative. The Winter Energy Payment provides superannuitant, veterans and other eligible candidates with weekly payments to deal with the additional expenses involved with keeping warm, safe and comfortable over the colder months.

Are you eligible? How much money can you expect to receive? And when does the Winter Energy Payment go into effect? We’ve rounded up everything you’ll need to answer these questions and more.

What is the Winter Energy Payment?

Part of the government’s Families Package initiative, the Winter Energy Payment is designed to help people across Aotearoa deal with the extra cost of heating their homes during the winter months

Think of the Winter Energy Payment as an income top-up. It’s not tied to your energy account, it doesn’t affect any other benefits or entitlements you may receive, and there’s no expectation that you’ll use the money to pay your power bill. Simply put, the Winter Energy Payment is a small financial injection that can be used however you see fit.

Who is eligible?

About 850,000 people will be able to get the Winter Energy Payment, including people receiving superannuation and Veteran’s Pension, as well as those on a main benefit. You don’t need to apply to get this payment - if you qualify, it will be paid to you automatically, in addition to any other regular payments you usually receive.

You might qualify for the Winter Energy Payment if you receive one of the following: 

• New Zealand Superannuation
• Veteran’s Pension
• Emergency Maintenance Allowance
• Jobseeker Support
• Jobseeker Support Student Hardship
• Sole Parent Support
• Supported Living Payment
• Youth Payment
• Young Parent Payment
• Emergency Benefit 

How much do I get? 

The exact amount of money you will receive depends on your specific circumstances. 

• A single qualifying person will receive $20.46 a week
• Qualifying couples and families (defined as a person with dependent children) will receive $31.82 per week.

The Winter Energy Payment is paid from 1 May to 1 October. The payments are non-taxable and can’t be paid in a single lump sum.

To learn more about the Winter Energy Payment, please visit the official page or check out our blog for some handy tips on keeping the power bill low this winter.

If you are interested in switching to Pulse Energy, please give our friendly team a call on 0800 785 733.