Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator McAllister. We know that there are a range of technologies available to Australians to save on energy bills and reduce emissions. What is the Albanese government doing to support families to improve the energy performance of their homes and save on their power bills?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Grogan for her question. I am very pleased to inform the senator that over the weekend the Albanese government announced $160 million to support Westpac's sustainable upgrades home loan through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. This builds on the $60 million we announced with Plenti in June. It is all part of the $1 billion Household Energy Upgrades Fund and it is complemented by the $300 million commitment, the Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative, which delivers upgrades for social housing.

The investment will mean that eligible customers with older homes or with appliances that don't meet modern energy standards will now be able to access lower interest loans to upgrade them. A house's design, materials and appliances all determine how well it uses energy. That's why we want to help Australians embrace upgrades and technology that can help with comfort, cost and of course also the climate.

We know from analysis undertaken by Climateworks Centre that home energy upgrades like double-glazing windows and installing solar panels could save, on average, between 40 and 50 per cent of typical domestic energy bills. These are all steps that households can embrace if we can provide just a little bit of support, because we know that if we can connect households with finance and good information about technology, these are changes that Australian households want to make. This announcement continues the rollout of finance from our $1 billion Household Energy Upgrades Fund, designed to help homes become more energy efficient and to ease the cost of living.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Grogan, first supplementary?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister; that's great to hear. I am pleased that the Albanese government is supporting Australian households to improve the energy performance of their homes. Can you step out for us what other energy measures this government is delivering that will help ease cost-of-living pressures on Australian families and businesses.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator. On this side of the chamber we understand that Australians are struggling right now, and this announcement is the latest in a long line of investments that this government has made to ease cost-of-living and put downward pressure on people's energy bills.

Earlier this year, we announced that every Australian household would receive $300 in energy bill relief. This, of course, comes on top of our initial phase of energy price relief, which those opposite opposed and voted against in this chamber. We recognise, on this side, that Australians needs short-term relief to help with the rising cost of living, but we are also investing in the long-term solutions needed to keep power prices down in the future. The truth is that Labor is the only party with a real plan to tackle emissions and put downward pressure on power prices.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Grogan, a second supplementary?

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. It's great to see a structural approach. Could the minister explain why the Albanese government has taken this approach to ease cost-of-living pressures and drive down emissions?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator. On this side of the chamber, we believe in clean, cheap, reliable energy that puts downward pressure on energy bills. What does Mr Dutton believe in? He believes in using taxpayer money to invest in the most expensive form of energy that there is and then take 20 years to build it. Mr Dutton can't even answer basic questions about his risky nuclear plan like: How much will it cost to build? How much will it add to energy bills? None of these answers have been provided, and Peter Dutton—Mr Dutton—and the Liberals want you to trust them, but you just have to witness the debacle that was the New South Wales local government nominations to understand that you can't trust these people with anything. If you can't trust them to lodge a form on time, how on earth could you trust them to build a nuclear reactor?