This Winter Could Be the Tipping Point for Many Local Households

By Kate Murray, General Manager, Community Link Upper Clutha

Across the Upper Clutha, rising living costs are placing increasing pressure on local households. Fuel, energy and everyday expenses are stretching budgets, and as winter approaches, that pressure is set to intensify.

At Community Link, we spend our days talking with people from all walks of life. Lately, we’re hearing a consistent message: finances are being tested, choices are getting harder, and household costs are becoming a source of real stress. For many families, what once felt manageable no longer is.

Fuel costs are a key contributor. We’re increasingly hearing from people who commute between places like Hāwea, Cromwell, Wānaka and Queenstown, struggling to absorb ongoing increases. For some, it affects whether they can get to work, take children to school, or access essential services. Others are turning to car‑sharing or community transport options simply to around.

Importantly, this pressure doesn’t sit within one group. Many of those reaching out are working households, often with two incomes. It can take just one unexpected expense such as an unexpected car repair or a higher‑than‑expected power bill, for things to tip from steady to overwhelming.

With winter still a few weeks away, the full impact isn’t yet known but the signs are clear. The pressure is building, and winter is likely to be a real crunch point for many local families. With energy and fuel costs rising by around 18–20 percent over the past year, more households are going to face tough decisions about home heating. Choosing to under‑heat or go without heating can have serious consequences for health, wellbeing and children’s learning.

That’s why Community Link Upper Clutha has launched its 2026 Cold Kids Campaign. While children remain at its heart, our focus reflects what we’re seeing locally: no one should be living in a cold home.

Cold Kids relies on the generosity of the community every year, but this winter, that support is needed more than ever. Rising fuel and energy costs mean many households are already stretched before winter fully sets in. Donations to the Cold Kids Campaign help ensure practical support can be there when it’s needed most — providing warmth, security and dignity at a time when the cold could push families past their breaking point. As winter approaches, early community action will make a real difference.

What a donation can help provide this winter

Here’s what Heating Costs looks like locally:

• Electricity:
  The average New Zealand household power bill sits around $195 per month and often rises to $250–$300 or more during winter, when heating demand increases.

• Firewood:
  In the Upper Clutha, a medium firewood delivery typically costs several hundred dollars, often in the range of $400–$600, depending on volume and wood type.

Why this matters:

• A $100 donation can help cover a significant portion of a winter power bill, particularly for a single person or smaller household.

• Larger donations help contribute directly toward essential heating support, such as electricity costs or firewood, for households facing tough choices about staying warm.

Cold Kids donations are used to provide practical, immediate heating support, helping people keep their homes warm and safe through the coldest months.