Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to contribute to this debate. Australia's energy crisis is compounding the cost-of-living crisis in my electorate. Power costs make up a big chunk of household budgets, and, by and large, my constituents are not wealthy. Our weekly median income is just $736, almost $70 less than the Australian average. On top of mortgage repayments, rising rents and more expensive groceries, the forecasted 56 per cent increase in energy prices have left people wondering how on earth they'll keep the lights on when the cost of everything is going up.

The electorate of Indi is the highest ranked regional electorate facing mortgage stress, according to a recent report from UNSW. Wodonga, the largest town in my electorate, is in the top 30 postcodes in the state for forced electricity disconnections. In fact, regional areas make up 40 per cent disconnections in Victoria, even though we only make up 25 per cent of the population. And these statistics come from a time before the energy crisis began. I am very worried about what the new year will bring.

Australians need from this government a clear read about how it will rein in energy prices. First, we need a solution for the hip-pocket pain that's coming our way next year. More importantly, we need reforms that will safeguard household energy security and put families and communities at the centre. The scale of the national energy transition is daunting, but there are domestic remedies that this government could get on board with right now. I agree with the member for Macquarie; I really want to collaborate with government on this. I believe that household-level support for low-income and everyday Australians to secure cheap and reliable energy will have a game-changing impact on the cost of living.

Many people feel this problem is too big, but we need to bring it down to the local level. We should be exploring policy interventions that reduce barriers for families and households to tap into the cheapest source of power: the stuff that comes off our roofs and which we can store on our walls.

There are two policies which I took to the last election and which this government should and could adopt in its next budget. I've taken them to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy and put them to him. They're not cash handouts that would drive up inflation. They would help households right now. In the spirit of collaboration, he could get on board with this.

First, there should be no-interest loans for households to electrify their homes. Australians know that solar and batteries are cheaper over the long run but more expensive to buy upfront. Most people don't have the cash in hand to start. As it stands, poorer Australians are stuck paying higher power bills because they're locked out of renewables for their home. This is where government can step in. A $10,000 loan for households to install solar, batteries and low-energy-usage appliances would unlock immediate savings for millions of households. It would help low-income households afford the upfront cost. This would address inequality, drive down power bills and tackle energy policy.

Second, this government should be making it cheaper and easier for everyday Australians to by a home battery. This would help them lower their power bills and take control of their energy usage. In the last parliament, I introduced the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Cheaper Home Batteries) Bill 2022, which would expand the Howard government's Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme for household solar. Independent modelling showed it could lower the cost of household batteries by up to $3,000 and it could triple the number of batteries in Australian households within three years.

Now, I designed this policy under a former coalition government policy—a Howard policy, actually—and maybe that's not palatable to this government, but I say: forget that; get on board anyway. It's indisputable that this is a problem that needs to be tackled if this government is serious about energy equity.

Over one-third of Australians have installed rooftop solar on their home, but just one per cent have a home battery, and that's because the batteries are too expensive. In the last 10 years, the cost of solar has come down 80 per cent. We need to do the same for batteries. We need to put them within the reach of all Australians.

The cost-of-living crisis is hitting us now, and a fair chunk of it is due to power prices. The government has the platform to act, and it should. I thank the member for Fenner, a Canberra local, for pointing us towards the Wharf Revue. I notice that it is called Looking for Albanese. I'm looking for Albanese on this one. Get on board and collaborate. This is a great solution, and we should be doing it.

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