Praise for Senate committee report into electrification

Electrification action group Rewiring Australia has welcomed a report into residential electrification carried out by a Coalition-led Senate committee.

The committee’s inquiry was chaired by the Coalition’s Andrew Bragg and drew upon research from Rewiring Australia. It found that electrification has the potential to improve household energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

“This report is exciting because it suggests the Coalition understands the potential of electrification in helping households trying to weather the cost-of-living crisis,” Rewiring Australia CEO Francis Vierboom said.

The report recommended that federal and state governments work together to promote and coordinate the uptake of electrification in a way that supports the grid — and to invest in technologies that use batteries.

It also recommended ensuring that there are community solar and battery assets that allow savings and benefits to be passed on to renters or people living in apartments.

Rewiring Australia strongly welcomed a further recommendation to support more training and skills for electrical workers.

“These recommendations make sense, and Rewiring Australia has been campaigning for action like this for a long time. It’s encouraging to see the evidence for a long-term approach to power bills continue to stack up, especially from this inquiry,” Vierboom said.

Rewiring Australia noted that the report also highlighted some of the challenges associated with electrification, including barriers to entry due to upfront costs. However, it said its research shows that, in the long run, the average Australian household could save thousands by upgrading to electric systems and appliances, and switching to an electric vehicle.

“We are pleased to see our research and policy asks for flexible loans to help people with upfront costs mentioned in this report. We know what needs to be done, and we know many will need help with making the switch. But the long-term savings are hard to dispute,” Vierboom said.

“We hope this report signals a willingness from the Coalition to consider electrification policies, in order to help all Australians get on top of energy costs.”

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