Solidarity Credit 2nd Quarter Report

Our COVID-19 solidarity credit program started on 1 April 2020 (and no, it was no April Fools Day joke). Our solidarity credit program is about giving up 100% of our revenue from electricity retailing and putting it to combat the social and economic consequences of COVID-19 in both Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific. You can read about the program more fully here.

July through September was the second quarter for the program and in total our customer members helped raise $1,475.00. This means that $737.50 is going to Australian Cooperative Power customer members who’ve put their hand up for a bit of solidarity, and $737.50 has been paid to our international development partner Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA. This means we’ve sent more money to energy democracy programs in Nepal, Vietnam and the Philippines.

This is on top of the $1,387.50 raised for the first quarter. So as a running total our solidarity credit program has raised $2,862.50 (and you’ve been an important part of this act of radical mutual support). Finally,  the best way we can sum up the early impact of our solidarity credit is to use the words of one of our customer members:

“The Cooperative Power solidarity credit that was offered at the start of the pandemic was a great example of real, material, concrete solidarity. It felt like a linked arm more than charity, at a time of pointed uncertainty, with both my partner and I losing the majority of our work and income”

So, thank you for helping to make a difference with your energy bill!