St Vincent de Paul distributed the state government’s Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) scheme vouchers between July and September this year, as compared with 17,817 in the same period in 2016.

Spokesman Ian Wray called the jump in requests for help a “crisis” and referred to them as “genuine”.

Dubbo residents have subsequently told how they are managing their bills through this newspaper’s Facebook page.

Many of them have been candid about the impact of power bills on their lives.

Vicki Hornby told of her gas and electricity bills totalling $700 in the winter quarter. “That’s with me shutting doors and turning off lights like a person possessed,” she wrote. “We own our home and don't go out and just manage.”

Michelle Thompson wrote: “We don’t go out and don’t go on holidays. Our electricity is now more than our rates.”

Michelle Tibbins McDonald told of her bill being more than $1000. “I’ll be paying it off again,” she wrote.

Other Facebook users were keeping their heads above water through regular payments. ”We pay fortnightly now,” wrote Han Walkom. “So nice to get a bill that's in credit.”

Julie Sullivan told of her instructions to Centrelink to deduct money fortnightly from her pension and that she had “never had to pay an actual bill in seven years”.

Damiien Sallustio wrote: “ We manage pretty well. We do have seven solar panels on roof so that may help a bit.”

Some residents questioned how power bills got out of hand.

 “We're at about $400 a quarter for a family of four,” Ella Moore wrote. “What are people doing to run up such big bills?”

Cathy Mclennan wrote: “Imagine if we all did this. A lot of people should get their priorities right and not run up huge bills they cannot pay. There are lots of ways one can save on power. Someone needs to let these people know.”

The Daily Liberal understands that St Vincent de Paul is one of five organisations in the city handing out the vouchers in greater demand since the July 1 electricity price hike.