The NSW government’s $200 million initiative aims to make more homes energy efficient and benefit thousands of Australians. The scheme, announced on Tuesday, will offer 24,000 NSW residents home upgrades such as draught-proofing, proper insulation, heat pump hot water systems, ceiling fans, reverse cycle air conditioners, and solar.
Another 10,000 low-income renters and apartment residents will also have access to subsidized solar.
The Albanese government estimates that renewable energy savings can help households save up to $600 a year on their power bills. The initiative will target social housing and the least energy-efficient homes in the state, which are mostly older homes that were built before current construction standards. Residents in areas with extreme weather conditions will also have priority.
The Solar Banks program is designed to help people who cannot install solar on their own roofs because they rent their homes, live in apartments, or cannot afford the installation costs. The program will provide rebates of up to 50 per cent of rooftop solar installation costs for multi-unit dwellings, according to the Albanese government.
Traditionally excluded from owning solar
The government also announced subsidies for plots in a NSW solar garden for those who NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said were “traditionally excluded from owning solar.”
The Albanese government announced a deal that would allow residents to buy or subscribe to individual panels in solar farms, also known as solar gardens. These residents would then receive a credit on their energy bill.
The deal targets those who cannot install or afford rooftop solar on their own premises, such as low-income households, apartment residents and renters.The Prime Minister said the deal would have a dual benefit, for both the environment and the cost of living for families.
He said: “We are providing cost of living relief for families who need it most without increasing inflation by helping them save energy and money.”
