Kathryn Maxwell, President of SHASA, said that for too long the emphasis of government assistance to transition to clean energy has been on large-scale solar and batteries. This is all about to change with the announcement of a package of measures to help households and small businesses reap the financial benefits of transitioning to clean energy. The package of measures is part of the NSW Government’s Consumer Energy Strategy: Powering our People and Communities.

Key initiatives include:

• $1,600 to $2,400 rebate to purchase solar batteries
• $250 incentive to sign up to a virtual power plant
• $238.9m Home Energy Saver program to be launched in mid 2025 to help lower energy bills and emissions across NSW
• $5m program to help communities participate in the energy transition through community energy projects. This is a good start and SHASA will be encouraging the NSW government to do more to facilitate community-scale and community-driven solar and batteries.
• a range of financial incentives for households and small businesses to install energy-efficient equipment and appliances. This includes lights, air-conditioners, water heaters, pool pumps, as well as motors, pumps, fans and furnaces.
• $200m to support the role out of public EV charging stations across NSW
• new home energy ratings from 2025, so renters and buyers have more information about the cost of heating and cooling their potential homes
• $175m to make energy savings upgrades for 24,000 social housing homes

These measures will help households make their homes comfortable all year round without massive electricity bills, said SHASA President, Kathryn Maxwell. [jm1] This package will help to ensure that everyone can reap the benefits of switching to all-electric and installing rooftop solar and batteries. It’s a win-win – cheaper electricity bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions.