Page 3671 - Week 10 - Thursday, 19 September 2019
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I have been able to increase that target to 30 per cent for 2020 as a result of several related initiatives. In particular, the government has allocated more than $7 million to assist public housing properties to upgrade to more efficient heating and hot-water systems. The government has also expanded the scheme’s original categories of priority households so that more low income households are eligible for the greater discounts they receive.
I must say that those programs in public housing are particularly important. I have been to some of the households who have benefited from these upgrades. To meet the householders who say, “I can’t believe what a difference it makes to have this new and improved device or a more modern device installed in my home, and I have noticed the difference in my energy bills,” is really inspiring. It tells me that we are getting these programs right, that people who are struggling to meet their energy needs are really benefiting personally and directly from these programs. It is great to have those moments in this job, which can be a tough job at times, and to get out and meet the people who really benefit from these schemes that we put in place.
Another point in support of the bill is the clear evidence that the scheme is achieving health and wellbeing benefits across Canberra. The scheme’s 2018 compliance period was the first year in which space heating and cooling activities delivered a large proportion of scheme savings. To take account of this development, and recognising that efficient space heating and cooling can improve comfort as well as costs, new survey questions were included, aiming to learn about any health and wellbeing impacts.
The representative sample of scheme participants who took part in the phone survey was enthusiastic about the impact of their new appliances in keeping their homes comfortable in summer and winter. A full 76 per cent believe that new equipment has made a substantial impact on comfort at home.
Scheme participants were also impressed with the impact of new appliances on improved physical or mental health, with 49 per cent saying that the new appliances had made a substantial improvement, and one out of five believing it had made a huge difference. Those who had experienced health benefits were asked to explain them. While some were simply happy to be warmer, for others the installation had impacted greatly on their physical and mental health. There is also evidence that the scheme’s space heating and cooling activities have reduced absenteeism, with 17 per cent of respondents feeling that their households were experiencing fewer sick days.
Importantly, these health and wellbeing outcomes are being experienced by those most in need of assistance as well as those more able to pay their heating bills. Of those reporting improvements, 18 per cent were public housing tenants and 37 per cent were other low income priority households.
This bill extends a highly cost-effective scheme which delivers a range of economic benefits to the territory. Electricity retailers pass the scheme costs through to ACT electricity customers. An independent review of the scheme completed in 2018 reported average household electricity bill costs, due to the scheme, of 58c per week over the life of the scheme, balanced against savings of $2.60 achieved
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