"Don't bugger about what are you going to do about this electricity nonsense?"

Grey Power members got straight to the point, with crippling electricity prices proving a hot topic, when they met with Senior Citizens Minister John Carter on Friday. Another member at the meeting told Mr Carter he wanted to see less "huff and puff" from the Government and more action.

Mr Carter met with more than 50 Grey Power Marlborough members at the branch's annual general meeting.

Members took the opportunity to also quiz Mr Carter on superannuation, enduring power-of-attorney laws and the SuperGold concessions card, but it was soaring power bills that generated the most debate.

It was revealed at a power-users forum this month that hundreds of Marlborough households are struggling to pay rising power bills and face having their power disconnected.

The forum was organised following a call from Mr Carter's National party colleague and Kaikoura MP Colin King.

Marlborough Lines statistics show power prices have risen 85 per cent in the last 10 years. Picton man Terry Miller said his power bill had risen from about $14 a week in 1990 to $34 a week now and he was feeling "ripped off".

Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee seemed to do little more than "get up and huff and puff" about power prices, Mr Miller said. "Don't bugger about what are you going to do about this electricity nonsense?"

Mr Carter said he had comments he would like to make but he would not do so.

"I won't say what I want to say. There's media here and I might get in trouble with the Prime Minister ... this is one of the issues I can't give you answers about now."

The "issue of power" was being addressed but was not something which could be fixed quickly, he said.

Another member asked whether New Zealand needed as many power companies as it had. Mr Carter said he would ask Mr Brownlee to look into it.

More power to Grey Power

Grey Power is in good heart in Marlborough with an increase in membership of 200 in the past year.

Treasurer Dennis Paget said branch finances were also the healthiest he had seen them, despite reporting a $28,887 loss for the year to March.

Mr Paget said annual membership fees began coming in at the end of April and about $19,000 had been banked at the end of that month.

He believed the balance was now at about $47,000. "The accountant's happy."

Branch president Jean Wilson, who was re-elected to the position unopposed on Friday, spoke about Grey Power's achievements in the past year including sorting out unfair medication fees.

One of the most pleasing achievements was the increasing number of members, up by 200 on last year to 6469.

Ad Feedback Thirty-four of those new members had joined in the last month, Ms Wilson said.