Buried under your energy bills? Find out how you can cut costs

You're not alone. The office of the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW says they're expecting to receive over 28,500 complaints this financial year, up from 18,000 in 2023.

And the majority of those complaints are about energy costs.

"Of the people from the Far Western Orana region, 64 per cent of complaints are about billing, including higher estimated bills and problems with rebates and concessions," ombudsman Janine Young said.

"Ten per cent of people from that area that come to us are talking to us about the fact that they just can't afford to pay their bill and they might be at risk of disconnection or they've been disconnected.

"To put it in context, it's about 24 complaints per 10,000 people, which is the fifth highest of complaints by population."

But there are ways to keep costs down, said Ms Young.

"There's a whole lot of concessions, there's large family concessions, there's concessions for anyone that are receiving any pensions or support from the government, there's health concessions and there's the national energy bill relief package that's been released," she said.

"So there's quite a lot of things about rebates and concessions that can actually reduce that amount that's payable."

The ombudsman will be visiting Dubbo on Thursday, February 7, to help the community "demystify" the process of applying for discounts and concessions.

The visit is part of a road trip around the region which will include stops in Wellington, Trangie and Narromine.

"It's about making ourselves very accessible and recognising that as an ombudsman, a phone line or an online complaint form is not the only way and it's not always effective," Ms Young said.

"We're hearing from people now that have never had to reach out to us for help... Some people don't even know that they can reach out and ask for help because they don't even know that exists.

"Whether they live in Dubbo or Narromine or Sydney, we've got to make sure that people know that there's rebates and concessions and there's support for them and that's why we're going to get out and have a chat."

As well as the ombudsman, attendees will be able to speak to representatives from the Rural Financial Counselling Service, Mob Strong Debt Help, CatholicCare, Salvation Army, Lifeline, Uniting Care, and Anti-Discrimination NSW.

"If you can't afford your energy bill, you can't afford your telecommunications bill or maybe your mortgage or your rent... So that's why it's a one stop shop for assistance," Ms Young said.