Mike Riley, executive officer for St Vincent de Paul for the Wagga area, said winter was always a tough time for the charity, as people struggled with the cost of utilities and other bills.

"You get these really hard choices between 'do I switch the electricity or the gas on to warm the house up or do I put food on the table'," Mr Riley said.

"I know that sounds really harsh, but that's the reality for plenty of people.

"Electricity is disproportionately more expensive in a rural area than it is in the city. The society is constantly trying to argue for some parity around that."

Mr Riley said more than $140,000 was last year allocated to helping people in the Wagga Vinnies area with their utilities bills, while another $400,000 went to help people with food, accommodation and even medical-related expenses.

"The one thing the society is really good at is it provides that bit of a safety net in times of real hardship that hopefully puts people back on their feet," he said.

"So we will get, at this time of year, more people presenting themselves, just wanting the basics of life."

To help Vinnies, Mr Riley said donations of good quality clothing and warm bedding, along with furniture in good condition, was useful.

"We're a not-for-profit and we cannot do that without the support of people, so we do look to people for financial assistance," he said.

Wagga's Salvation Army charity store is also needing donations of warm clothes and blankets.

The Salvos has a "test and tag" service, so it accepts donations of electrical items.