$625 raised for single mom with SP Services bill arrears

A volunteer who works with single mothers, Vivian Pan, yesterday narrated the story of a single mother who was struggling to pay her utility bill and asked for help.
The woman had arrears of $524.02, and SP Services warned that they would convert her to Pay-As-You-Use Metering Scheme (PAYU) if she did not pay up by 31 December 2015.
PAYU is a scheme where most utility bill payment defaulters can avoid power supply cuts and running up arrears. It is a pre-paid service where CashCard-operated meters are fixed in place of regular meters in such homes. There is a means-tested voucher scheme available for those who have difficulty topping-up such meters.
Despite SP Services intentions of helping the payment defaulters better manage their utilities and the added assurance of the voucher scheme, there is a general fear that such homes will not have electricity and water when their credit runs out and they have no money to top-up.
People responded to Ms Pan’s appeal for help for the single-parent, and in less than 24 hours, more than what was needed to pay the bill, $625 was raised.
Ms Pan thanked those that responded to her plea saying they gave the parent “hope” and also said that the affected woman extends her deepest appreciation to all the “kind angels”.