More Victorians will be able to claim compensation for spending a week without power after a second storm hit the state.
Prolonged power outage payments of $1920 a week for households and $2927 a week for businesses were rolled out after storms swept through Victoria on February 13, disconnecting electricity to 530,000 properties at one point.
The payments, jointly funded by the state and federal governments, were only available to customers without power for at least seven consecutive days.
About another 5000 customers lost power on Thursday after high temperatures and strong winds caused further damage to power poles and lines.
In response, eligibility for the payments has been expanded to households without power for seven days cumulatively across both weather events.
"A number of households have been impacted by the power outages and are facing the costs of replacing fridge-loads of food, sometimes more than once," federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said on Monday.
The payments, capped at up to three weeks, are being metered out by power distribution companies.
AusNet, the main power provider impacted by the recent storms, has started accepting online applications after Victorian Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio lashed it over a system delay last week.
