Governments across Australia need to know that energy savings schemes are delivering on what most voters want according to community survey results released today: policies that drive energy efficiency upgrades for homes and businesses.
“The survey results demonstrate that once people understand what energy efficiency can deliver, the overwhelming majority support policies that enable upgrades,” said President of the Energy Efficiency Certificate Creators Association (EECCA), Mr Hamish McGovern.
The table below lists key findings of the survey commissioned jointly by the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC), the Property Council of Australia (PCA) and the Australian Council for Social Services (ACOSS). The table also indicates, according to the EECCA, how energy savings schemes deliver on those policies that were put to survey participants to support or oppose.
“Governments across Australia also need to know that as community understanding and support for energy efficiency grows voters will question why proven government programs that deliver energy savings at lowest cost to all concerned are either not available to them or are not being expanded and extended.
“Successful energy savings schemes have been running for almost a decade in Vic, NSW, SA and ACT. Under both Labor and Liberal governments these schemes have been expanded and their targets increased. These schemes can do much more heavy lifting over the next decade, at least, to enable industry to deliver upgrades at lowest cost including lighting, air conditioning, appliances, weather ceiling and specialised industrial site upgrades, ” Mr McGovern said.
Queensland is currently considering a local energy savings scheme, the NT and WA are currently undertaking an audit of their energy efficiency programs. The Victorian scheme is at risk without the support of the Liberals should they gain power in the upcoming November election and choose to discontinue the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) which is committed to 2030.
SOURCE : Energy Saving Industry Association