What are we calling for federal election candidates to support?
To cut household bills and slash pollution, we want federal election candidates to commit to:
Help existing households make clean energy upgrades
- Provide subsidies and low-cost finance to support and incentivise homeowners to perform energy efficiency upgrades and install rooftop solar and batteries.
- Develop and fund a program to remove barriers to communal solar installations, ensuring that owners of buildings with common rooftops (such as low-rise apartment buildings and townhouses) are able to install rooftop solar.
Ensure all new homes are affordable, healthy and all-electric
- Build on recent reforms to the National Construction Code, and work with the states on a national approach and timeframe for requiring all-electric homes across the country
Ensure renters live in healthy, comfortable and affordable homes
- Introduce national minimum energy performance standards for rental properties, mandating adequate insulation, draught-proofing, energy-efficient appliances, as well as rooftop solar where practicable.
- Develop and fully fund low-cost finance, benefit sharing and/or rebates supporting tenants to access energy efficiency upgrades and rooftop solar. Options include HECS-style income-contingent repayments via the ATO, or repayments via a surcharge on household electricity bills for a fixed (e.g. 10-year) period.
Roll out rooftop solar and storage for all social housing
- Introduce national minimum energy performance standards for social housing properties, mandating adequate insulation, draught-proofing, energy-efficient appliances and rooftop solar where practicable.
- Continue working with the states to expand the rollout of the Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative
