Media release – TasCOSS, 6 October 2021
New Deloitte report supports call for household energy efficiency upgrades
New analysis by Deloitte Access Economics confirms that investing in energy efficiency upgrades to low income homes will save on household energy bills, deliver vital health benefits, generate tens of thousands of jobs and add billions of dollars to our national economy.
TasCOSS CEO Ms Adrienne Picone said the report released today by Deloitte supports TasCOSS’s Budget Priority Statement that called for a bold program of investment in household energy efficiency upgrades for low income households.
“Despite access to some of the lowest regulated prices in the country, Tasmanians pay the highest electricity bills and have historically had high bills,” Ms Picone said.
“This is due to our higher electricity consumption compared to the mainland, which is driven by factors such as a relatively cool climate, low penetration of natural gas and the poor energy efficiency of our housing stock.
“The energy efficiency of Tasmanian homes is so poor that tens of thousands of people on low incomes are at greater risk of getting sick or dying because they can’t afford their energy bills and are unable to install retrofits to keep their home warm in winter or cool in summer.
“As Deloitte has made abundantly clear, targeted investment in energy efficiency programs and initiatives for low income households will improve the health and wellbeing of Tasmanians, as well as stimulate our economy in the post-COVID-19 recovery, create jobs and lower emissions.
“It was therefore disappointing there was not a greater investment in household energy efficiency measures, in particular targeting rental properties, in the recent state budget given the clear social and economic benefits echoed by Deloitte.”
Ms Picone also noted that despite the Tasmanian Government’s claim we have access to some of the lowest regulated prices in the country, the Tasmanian Economic Regulator’s report clearly showed that most customers on the mainland are paying much lower prices through market offers.
“The government’s promise of the lowest regulated prices is not particularly meaningful to Tasmanians households, when market offers overwhelmingly apply outside of Tasmania and those prices are lower than our regulated prices.
“TasCOSS calls on the Tasmanian Government to leverage the Tasmanian community’s 100 years of investment in renewable energy and commit to delivering the most affordable electricity in the country through a combination of both lower prices and a bold program of investment in household energy efficiency initiatives.”
