Key Points
To take urgent action on the cost-of-living and provide relief for renters and people in social housing, Rebecca White and Labor will invest in making homes energy efficient.
Every Tasmanian knows how cold a winter night can be – often well below 10° Celsius.
And, with skyrocketing power bills after a decade of the Liberals, more and more Tasmanians can’t afford to heat their homes, and unlike homeowners, renters and social housing tenants don’t have the ability to make their home more energy efficient.
Therefore, under Labor’s plan, we will:
- Incentivise landlords to make energy efficient upgrades to their rental properties.
- Provide $1,000 for upgraded or new heat pumps, insulation, solar panels, household battery storage systems, better glazing, lighting, hot water system or air conditioning.
- Provide $5 million to upgrade public and social housing.
- Save households more than $4500 over 10 years.
- Keep more homes in the long-term rental market.
- Ensure more households can take advantage of lower power prices under Labor.
Why we need it
Tasmania is in the middle of a cost of living crisis, and the cost of power bills have gone up more than 22.5% over two years.
“Labor will invest in making homes more energy efficient”
Research in Victoria has shown that spending on average only $2,809 on energy efficiency upgrades reduces exposure to cold temperatures by 43 minutes a day, increases average indoor temperature, and made a majority of households
feel noticeably warmer.
It was estimated that such a small investment would save households, on average, $4,783 over 10 years on power and health costs.
While homeowners have access to the Energy Saver Loan Scheme, under the Liberals there is nothing to encourage landlords and renters to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties.
Meanwhile, much of Tasmania’s social housing can do with more insulation, more efficient hot water systems, and solar panels.
The details
A Labor Government will provide an incentive program for landlords, with $1,000 available per home for energy efficiency upgrades when the landlord providers a matched contribution.
The property will need to remain in the long-term rental market, and not converted into short-stay, for at least three years.
All upgrades currently accessible under the Energy Saver Loan Scheme will be eligible. The scheme will be capped at 2500 homes.
Labor in Government will also provide $5 million for energy efficiency upgrades to public and social housing, to upgrade 2500 public and social homes.