Energy Efficiency Council - Efficiency Providers | Energy Users | Australia

ENERGY BILLS & ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Survey of community views by YouGov Galaxy
April 2018

In many parts of Australia electricity prices have almost doubled and wholesale gas prices have more than tripled over the last decade. Many Australians are struggling with high energy bills. Helping homes and businesses save energy is a highly effective way to reduce energy bills while improving energy security and sustainability.

The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), the Property Council of Australia (PCA) and the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) all share the goal of ensuring that energy bills are affordable for homes and businesses. In February 2018 these groups commissioned YouGov Galaxy to survey on the views of Australians on energy policy, with a focus on energy efficiency.

Click here to download the Survey results.

Quick snapshot of some of the results:

• 90 per cent of voters think that it is important or very important that governments help reduce households’ and businesses’ energy bills
• Energy efficiency was the most popular energy policy option:
  • 88 per cent of voters support government investment in energy efficiency, and just 5 per cent oppose it, giving a net support of 83 per cent.
  • Voters were more divided on whether government should invest in new coal-fired generators, with just 4 per cent net support, and
  • More voters opposed than supported reducing incentives for renewable energy and energy storage, with 16 per cent net opposition.
• Voters supported a wide range of specific energy efficiency policies, including:
  • 79 per cent support for incentives to upgrade commercial buildings
  • 80 per cent support for minimum standards for rental homes to ensure that they are safe, comfortable and have low energy bills, and
  • 92 per cent support for upgrading the energy efficiency of public buildings such as schools and hospitals.

Raw data from the survey can be downloaded here.