Rewiring Australia calls for stronger action on home energy upgrades amid another power price hike
Another energy price hike should be a wake up call for the federal government to support cheaper and cleaner energy for Australian households.
Market volatility created by clunky coal-fired power plants has driven another proposed hike in energy prices, which has been announced today.
The cost of power is expected to rise by up to 8.9 per cent from July 1 according to the Australian Energy Regulator.
“Our waning coal-fired power plants are letting us down, while our energy bills go up. We need more reliable, and cheaper energy,” Rewiring Australia’s founder and Chief Scientist Dr Saul Griffith said.
Rewiring Australia research shows people who switch to solar power shows people who switch to solar power, and more efficient electric appliances are saving thousands, and in some cases not paying bills at all.
“We know that giving homes the ability to become their own power source is the best way to reduce, or even eliminate, energy bills, and the cherry on top is that it’s also cleaner,” Saul Griffith said.
Fossil fuel sources are becoming increasingly unreliable, with AEMO data showing that black coal-fired generators recorded all-time low availability during the final quarter of 2024.
“We can still have all the comforts of running electricity in our homes, but at a fraction of the cost. We must make it easier for people to power their homes with solar and batteries, and use better appliances.”
“There are barriers to electrification that we need to break down for homeowners and renters. By making it easier for people to access finance to invest in this technology,and setting up the right incentives and standards to make rentals more energy efficient is crucial.
“By speeding up the rate of electrification in Australia, we can combat rising bills. We stand to keep losing money if we don’t pick up the pace, and continue relying on ageing, and unreliable fossil fuel sources.”
“We’ve taken steps in the right direction in many places, but bills are rising quickly, so we need to move now to help families avoid having to pay more than they should when there is a cheaper and cleaner way.”
Media contact - Kathleen Ferguson - 0421 522 080