Joint media release – Julie Collins MP, Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness; Nicholas Street, Tasmanian Minister for Housing and Construction; Jenny McAllister, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, 18 January 2024
Energy upgrades to ease cost of living for Tasmania’s social housing residents
The Albanese and Rockliff Governments are delivering long-term cost of living savings to more than 1,600 Tasmanian households, with a $16.6 million partnership for energy upgrades in social housing properties.
Social housing properties are some of the most energy inefficient in Australia, with most built more than 20 years ago before minimum build standards.
That’s why the Commonwealth and Tasmanian governments are partnering to extend the state-run program to reduce energy bills and help keep homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
The Homes Tasmania Energy Efficiency Program will deliver energy upgrades including heat pump hot water systems, insulation, draught proofing, LED lights, and window glazing.
Around 11 per cent of the state’s social housing properties will receive some kind of upgrade under the program.
This investment is part of the Albanese Labor Government’s $1.7 billion Energy Savings Package, $300 million of which is helping to fund upgrades for up to 60,000 social housing properties across the country.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said the government was committed to helping households make real cost of living savings through their energy bills.
“We’re delighted to invest in household energy upgrades that will help make power bills more affordable for more than 1,600 social housing properties across Tasmania.
“Today’s announcement comes on top of our Energy Bill Relief Fund, which is supporting around 143,000 Tasmanian residents with average savings of $500 off their bills.”
Minister for Housing Julie Collins said the partnership build on the government’s cost of living relief.
“Our government is working to ensure more Tasmanians have a safe and affordable place to call home,” Minister Collins said.
“This new partnership will mean more homes in Tasmania are energy efficient, saving residents energy and money.
Tasmania’s Minister for Housing and Construction, Nic Street, welcomed the announcement saying it would be a boost for Tasmanian households.
“This initiative will make life more comfortable and deliver energy savings for more than 1,600 Tasmanian households,” Minister Street said.
“These energy efficiency initiatives will not only extend the life of public housing assets but also enhance the living conditions, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness for residents.
“I welcome the Australian Government’s $8.3 million partnership, matching the Rockliff Liberal Government’s investment of $8.3 million which will provide better outcomes for Tasmanians.”
Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister said the government wanted to help all Australians lower power bills and reduce emissions, no matter where they lived or how much they earned.
“Energy efficiency upgrades will help households save money, save energy, and make homes more comfortable each and every year,” Assistant Minister McAllister said.
“Energy upgrades and electrification can especially help tenants save substantially on energy bills and keep homes warm throughout chilly Tasmanian winters.”
Media release – Parents for Climate, 19 January 2024
Energy efficiency upgrades welcomed, but thousands of Tasmania’s most vulnerable families still locked into high energy prices
Parents for Climate welcomes the announcement from Tasmanian and Federal governments to provide matched funding for energy-saving upgrades for 1,600 social housing properties. However, Parents for Climate would like to see this support go further.
Tens of thousands of Tasmanians live in homes which simply can’t handle the state’s cold climate, with low income families the most at risk and least likely to have adequate insulation and climate controls. Parents for Climate’s latest report, Hothouse Australia: Our kids at risk as heat soars, highlights that millions of children, including over 760,000 children living in poverty in Australia, face heightened risks to their health and education from exposure to unsafe temperatures in homes, schools and childcare centres.
There are 11,822 social houses in Tasmania and they represent those most at risk from extreme temperature impacts. Today’s announcement, covering only 1,600 houses and with no apparent funding for bill-busting rooftop solar, doesn’t go far enough. Parents for Climate calls on all governments to coordinate a national plan to lower energy costs for vulnerable households via funding for energy efficiency and a bill-busting rollout of rooftop solar for more low-income homes.
Nic Seton, Parents For Climate CEO said, “This announcement represents significant progress towards protecting vulnerable households against the twin threats of poor housing quality and rising costs. But too many families, including over 760,000 children living in poverty in Australia, continue to face heightened risks to their health and education from buildings which are too expensive to heat or cool appropriately.
“Social housing represents some of the least energy efficient homes in the country, and this announcement does provide significant improvements to 11% of Tasmania’s social housing. Unfortunately, the government has a long way to go to ensure all social housing is safe in a changing climate, and they are yet to fund a full rollout of rooftop solar which makes heating and cooling these spaces genuinely affordable.
“Across Australia, this summer is only the beginning. Extreme temperatures will have significant short- and long-term health effects on vulnerable groups, including children. We urgently need a national plan for managing unsafe temperatures in our communities, including fair and affordable access to energy for vulnerable families.”
Bernie Harrington
January 21, 2024 at 16:45
Solar panels fitted to social housing would certainly help to reduce energy bills.
Simon Warriner
January 22, 2024 at 09:53
A reduction in energy bills in social housing fitted with solar would only come about if the occupants understand that to get the benefits they must use the energy at the time it is generated. If they do their washing and cooking during sunlight hours, and shower or bathe in the morning and load their fridges and freezers early in the day, then they will make savings. If they do all those activities in the late afternoon or evening they will save very little because they will only get the benefit of the pitiful feed-in rate for their generation while paying the full rate for their usage.
The best use of solar is to not feed any into the grid, thus saving the full rate tariff. That scenario is incompatible with many employment opportunities. Batteries are good at fixing that, but they come with a fire risk that I doubt many social housing properties could adequately mitigate, in addition to significant costs. As someone privy to the discussions among the fire investigation community on the subject, I would consider mitigation to mean having the battery physically removed from the dwelling and any other flammable structure by several metres.
Unless those issues are understood and addressed by all concerned it is an exercise in virtue-signalling and little else, especially down the track when the solar panels and batteries begin to fail and need replacing. Add in the now well documented increased fire risk from battery faults, and better value is to be had in making sure all appliances are as efficient as possible, and the properties are well insulated.
As a former thermal imaging practitioner, my experience suggests that much better use of the money would be to buy a few (now very cheap, eg less than $3,000) infrared cameras and hire a few people to take them into social housing properties to show the occupants where the energy is going, and then subsidise the expenses required to reduce the energy loss.
Draught stops, curtains, slow cookers, fridge seals and other low cost actions will have a bigger impact.