The Temporary Chairman:

We can circulate them as well.

Leave granted.

The answers read as follows—

Energy Efficient Homes Package

Responses to questions arising during the Senate Enquiry

1. Senator Joyce asked:

In relation to the 2.2 million homes anticipated for insulation - what was the sample size used in the ABS survey to determine current levels of household insulation?

Answer:

The 2008 Australian Bureau of Statistics publication, Environmental Issues: Energy Use and Conservation, used to source information about insulation distribution across the household sector was a supplement survey to the monthly Labour Force Survey, with 12,965 fully responding households.

2. Senator ABETZ asked:

Did the projected cost of the insulation measures (insulation and Low Emissions Plan for Renters) include all the aged-care facilities?

Answer:

Yes.

3. Senator MILNE asked:

What is the average Australian house size?

Answer:

The current average includes new housing stock that have been subject to more stringent building code provisions with higher levels of insulation. The estimated average size of houses to be insulated through this measure is 160 square metres.

The last major survey of housing characteristics was undertaken by the ABS in 1986. The 1986 National Energy Survey found the average floor size of the detached housing stock was 119.3m2. From this time, only statistics on the average floor size of new homes has been collected. These have shown significant increases in floor size over time for the typical Australian home, with the average floor size of new homes built in 2005 at 230m2. For the proposed program the average floor size was estimated at 160m2. The program will primarily be applicable to older housing stock which was not subject to more stringent building code provisions resulting in higher levels of insulation in houses built in the last decade. The estimate of average applicable floor size for the program is also supported by analysis work commissioned by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts from Energy Efficient Strategies in the publication “Energy Use in the Residential Sector: 1986-2020” published in 2008. The modelling for the publication was peer reviewed by an independent panel of experts across the energy efficiency field.