Solar, batteries and efficiency upgrades are the best bill busting option for households
March 25, 2025
High power bills could be permanently reduced for millions of Australian households if the Federal Government empowered people to take back control of their energy through solar, battery storage, and efficiency upgrades.
Today’s Federal Budget will provide relief for some households and small businesses with an extension of energy relief payments until the end of 2025. But we need more than a temporary bandaid.
Fortunately, real solutions are available now.
Renew Australia for All has been calling for an immediate $5 billion investment to support home energy upgrades and expand access to rooftop solar, batteries, and efficiency improvements—especially for those hardest hit by the cost of living. This is less than the $6.8 billion the government has allocated for energy relief since 2023.1
More than 4 million Australian households have already slashed their power bills by installing rooftop solar, saving an average of $1,500 per year. However, many renters, apartment dwellers, social housing tenants, and those unable to afford the upfront costs remain locked out of these savings.
Renew Australia for All Campaign Manager, Sawsan Alfayadh, said: “Bill relief might help families for a quarter, but investing in clean energy solutions will break the cycle of high power bills for generations.”
“We know high, volatile gas prices and our ageing coal fleet have been driving up prices.
“The answers to this are tried and proven, available now, and give back control to households. Our analysis shows that households could save an average of $3,039 per year with basic energy efficiency upgrades combined with solar and battery storage. If the government supported home energy upgrades, Australia could collectively save $23.6 billion per year.”
“Let’s get smarter and get serious about how we are utilising our taxpayer money.”
Media Contact:
Tamara Kotoyan, Essential Media
0430291890
tamara.kotoyan@essentailmedia.com.au
ABOUT RENEW AUSTRALIA FOR ALL
Renew Australia For All is a historic alliance of more than 70 organisations from social services, unions, faith, community and multicultural groups, environment organisations and industry working together to deliver a fairer, better and more secure future for all Australians. Because all of us – no matter where we live, or what we earn – can and should have access to affordable, clean, reliable renewable energy so we can cut household energy bills now, and for good. All our communities also need to be supported to be better prepared for and able to recover from extreme weather events, like bushfires and heatwaves.
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- https://www.energy.gov.au/energy-bill-relief-fund. Noting an additional spend announced in this Federal Budget for $1.8 billion pledged to extend support until end of 2025 ↩︎