End charges for paper bills: Keep Me Posted
Companies that slap customers with additional fees for mail-delivered bills are being accused of penalising people who don't have internet access.
Up to $3.20 per bill is being charged to people who prefer them posted rather than emailed, consumer group Keep Me Posted says.
The group launched a campaign in Canberra last week calling on companies to stop charging people for paper bills and statements.
"When you add up all the utility bills, telco bills and financial statements, it's those who are most disadvantaged who are impacted," Keep Me Posted's executive director Kellie Northwood told AAP.
The group highlights most Australian households with incomes with less than $40,000 not having access to the internet, with the elderly, disabled Australians or those in remote areas most affected.
The push has been welcomed by seniors groups who argue the fees penalise people who are likely companies' long-time customers.
"The internet is not universal. We are penalising people who have no idea even how to turn a computer on," Council on the Ageing NSW's Ian Day told AAP.
"It's getting silly that customers are getting charged for what's traditionally a normal way of working."
