Guy Barnett,Minister for Energy
The Tasmanian Government is committed to helping small businesses cushion the blow from the COVID-19 pandemic, with one-off grants of $1000 to support eligible customers with their energy costs.
Tasmania’s small business sector is one of our biggest employers and also one of the sectors hardest hit during the pandemic restrictions, and we are taking action to help them recover and get back on their feet.
The $1000 one-off grants will be available for embedded network customers that get their utilities provided directly from a landlord or building owner like shops in a shopping centre, tenants in managed office accommodation or leaseholders at a business estate.
A wide range of businesses are set to benefit from the $1000 grant including hairdressers, florists, newsagents, food stores and more.
While we have already provided an electricity, water and/or sewerage waiver to small businesses through utility providers, these grants are designed to help those small businesses that operate in ’embedded networks’ and don’t deal directly with a retail provider for these services.
These grants will build on measures we have already taken to help Tasmanians with their energy costs, including a power price decrease from 1 July 2020 and the support for 34,000 small business benefiting from the Government’s electricity bill quarterly waiver at a cost of up to $27 million.
In addition, Aurora has established a $5 million package to assist customers with bill relief during COVID-19 with the waiving of fees or charges and a range of other support measures.
Applications for the grants open at 12pm tomorrow and close on Monday, 26 October 2020 unless available funds are allocated prior.
