The diocesan Caritas of St. Pölten, in partnership with the Austrian energy community “Robin Powerwood”, is collecting donations of electricity for people suffering hardship, under the motto “Donations of electricity against energy poverty”. Businesses and households that generate their own electricity from photovoltaic, wind or hydropower plants and produce more than they need can take part in the donation campaign. “Instead of selling such excess for a few cents per kWh, one can really do some good and help in a very simple way”, Christoph Riedl, Secretary General of Caritas St. Pölten, stated in a press release today. Such donation campaign is a response to rising energy poverty in Austria, which Caritas highlighted with current data and stories coming from social consultancy centres. According to “Statistics Austria”, one person out of twenty cannot properly heat or cool the house or use electric appliances such as stoves and washing machines. Electricity donations collected by Caritas are then passed on to families, single parents or people on basic state pensions in Lower Austria who cannot afford to pay their electricity bills. Even Caritas centres such as the Caritas House for Mother and Child and houses for persons with disabilities are supported by electricity donations.