Transformative investment in energy efficiency to supercharge Victoria’s recovery 17 November 2020
Transformative investment in energy efficiency to supercharge Victoria’s recovery
The Andrews Government’s massive new energy efficiency upgrade effort will fix poor quality homes, create thousands of jobs and improve the health and wellbeing of Victorians, according to the Energy Efficiency Council.
Today the Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Lily D’Ambrosio, announced a $797 million package of energy efficiency stimulus measures, including:
- $335 million to replace old wood, electric and gas fired heaters with new energy-efficient systems in 250,000 homes;
- $112 million to upgrade the comfort and efficiency of 35,000 social homes;
- $14 million for appliance upgrades under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program; and
- New minimum energy efficiency standards for rentals homes to ensure that they are fit for habitation will be in place from 2022.
“This is a transformative investment in energy efficiency from the Andrews Government, the largest single energy efficiency investment from any state government in Australian history,” said Luke Menzel, CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council.
“We know that energy efficiency upgrades of buildings have the biggest jobs multiplier of any form of clean energy stimulus. Victoria is harnessing that jobs multiplier to supercharge their post-COVID recovery, create thousands of good, local jobs and cut carbon along the way,” said Luke Menzel
“Not just that, but this is an investment that will improve the quality of life of Victorians. A lot of us found out this winter just how cold our homes are, and how expensive they are to run. Upgrading the heating and cooling of social housing, rental properties and hundreds of thousands of other homes will slash people’s energy bills and save lives,” said Luke Menzel.
“Poor quality homes can have big health impacts. A major program in New Zealand to improve the homes of low income households delivered massive savings to their health system, with an estimated $7 in benefits for every $1 invested by the government, largely through reductions in mortality,” said Luke Menzel.
This major new stimulus effort is consistent with evidence from bodies like the International Monetary Fund and the International Energy Agency, who call energy efficiency a ‘job-creation machine’, and have advocated for it to be put at the heart of economic recovery programs post COVID-19.
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Rob Murray-Leach, Head of Policy 0414 065 556