Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) household electrification policies can significantly reduce Australia's carbon emissions, its reliance on fossil fuels, and household energy bills by thousands of dollars each year;

(b) such policies are most effective when accompanied by support for household solar and battery systems and electric vehicles; and

(c) Australia is well-positioned to be a world leader in benefitting from decarbonisation, through the export of green energy as well as the technology and services to facilitate the clean energy transition; and

(2) calls on the Government to:

(a) take the lead on driving household electrification by rolling out low interest loans and tailored support for low-income households that help to overcome the upfront capital costs of electrification;

(b) work with state and territory governments to urgently improve the regulatory infrastructure necessary for integrating greater electrification into our energy system; and

(c) provide additional support to community-led organisations which are facilitating electrification and other climate transition programs.

The average home in Australia that is powered by fossil fuels costs around $5,300 a year to run and, in doing so, produces nearly 10,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide. When you add that all together, it means households contribute more than 40 per cent of Australia's carbon emissions. Almost all of this comes from the machines in our daily lives: the petrol cars, the gas stoves and the fossil fuel power plants that supply most of our electricity. This dependence on fossil fuels is hurting our planet, and, as we are seeing right now, it's hurting our hip pockets too. Many families across Australia are in a never-ending struggle to pay their power bills, with gas prices skyrocketing because of the war in Ukraine.

The silver lining of this fossil fuel price crisis is that Australian sunshine hasn't got any more expensive. In fact, rooftop solar in Australia is the cheapest home energy available in the entire world. It is so cheap that even a magic power plant providing energy for free would not beat it on price. That's because sending energy over power lines is more expensive than energy that comes off your roof. This means we can reduce our emissions and reduce our power bills through electrification of our households, supercharged by renewable energy. Best of all, the technology we need to achieve this is available today. We already have access to high-quality rooftop solar which can deliver electricity at an average of just three cents per kilowatt. We already have electric cooktops which can replace expensive and polluting gas stoves. We already have household batteries and electric vehicles, which can provide all the power we need when the sun isn't shining. Even before this fossil fuel crisis, the economic benefits of electrifying our households, improving insulation and powering our lives with Australian sunshine were clear.

In Wentworth alone, electrification means the average household could save over $3,000 per year on home and vehicle costs by 2030. It means community organisations that install rooftop solar, like the Holdsworth centre in Woollahra, which recently put on rooftop solar, can spend less on power bills and more on delivering services like child care, dementia support and NDIS advice to the people who need it most. Our friends overseas have already realised this opportunity. In the United States, the landmark Inflation Reduction Act is accelerating the adoption of efficient all-electric appliances in homes throughout America. In the European Union, the Fit for 55 package includes a directive that all new building should be zero emissions by 2030. In the UK, the Heat and Buildings Strategy will decarbonise all homes, commercial premises and government buildings by 2050.

For too long, Australia has been a laggard on climate policy. Below cost rooftop solar makes it possible for us to lead the world when it comes to electrification. To achieve this, we need governments to make it easier for people to get off expensive gas and to electrify their homes with renewables. We need to make it easier to overcome the upfront costs of these technologies and realise the benefits of cheaper energy in the long term. We need to make it easier to insulate our homes so that we use less energy in the first place. That is why this weekend, I'm bringing together our state MPs, local councils and the Smart Energy Council as part of Wentworth's first ever climate summit. At the summit, residents will hear from local and industry experts to explore technologies, products and lifestyle changes needed to electrify their homes, save on their power bills and power Wentworth to net zero.

Local action is critical, but alone it will not be enough. That is why I'm calling on the federal government to take a leadership role. That means working with state and territory governments to get the regulatory framework right, through measures like renewable energy storage targets and strong national energy efficiency and emissions standards for rental properties. It means support for lower income households to electrify and insulate through bulk retrofit of public and social housing, and a national program of low-interest loans for home energy upgrades. It means supporting community led organisations which are facilitating electrification and other climate transition programs, and it means getting more batteries on wheels into households across Australia via the National Electric Vehicle Strategy, which must include strong fuel efficiency standards that reflect a phase-out of new internal combustion engine sales by 2035 at the latest. Household electrification is a massive opportunity to save on our power bills and to save the planet. Let's not waste it.

See this speech in context