Victorian households and businesses will be able to save money on their energy bills through new programs to increase energy efficiency and create new jobs.
The Andrews Labor Government’s Saving Energy, Growing Jobs initiative – funded in the Victorian Budget – includes a $10 million program to retrofit public housing stock and homes of Victorians with complex health conditions to make them more energy efficient and help reduce energy bills.
This includes installing more energy efficient hot water, heating and cooling systems as well as insulation and draught proofing.
Small and medium sized businesses will be able to reduce their energy costs through a new $3 million energy efficiency assessment program.
The Labor Government will also invest $3 million rolling out Australia’s first home energy efficiency rating tool, which has been specifically designed to help Victorians save on their power bills.
These initiatives will form part of our Victorian Energy Efficiency and Productivity Strategy.
The $12 million Driving Growth in Renewable Energy program will help increase renewable energy generation in Victoria and create new investment and jobs.
It includes support to transition Victoria’s wholesale electricity generation stock to renewable energy, encourage more households to install solar energy and battery storage systems and help community renewable energy projects get off the ground.
The Government is also modernising Victoria’s mining regulator to give the community and industry confidence in how our natural resources are managed.
A regional strategy for rehabilitation of the Latrobe Valley coal mines will also be developed in response to the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio
“We are helping Victorian households and businesses become more energy efficient and save on their energy bills.”
“Our home energy efficiency rating tool will be an Australian first, and will help Victorians save.”
“We need a modern mining regulator that gives both the community and industry confidence in how our natural resources are managed so we can grow jobs and investment in the sector.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020