Tuesday, 21 February 2023

 Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (12:50): I rise to update the house on the thousands of households in my electorate who have installed power stations on their roofs and are saving thousands of dollars through the Andrews Labor government’s Solar Homes program. South Morang, Wollert, Epping and Mill Park are charging ahead in switching to solar, with more than 5500 households installing solar panels through Solar Victoria since 2018. These families are instantly reaping the benefits through our $1400 rebate and $1400 interest-free loans. That is money staying in their pockets when we know that they are doing it tough. And we are helping Victorians save along the way, with customers saving, on average, $1000 on their energy bills every year through Solar Homes. We have seen nearly 230,000 families in Victoria install solar panels, batteries and new solar hot water systems and replace their old heaters with energy-efficient reverse-cycle split systems. We have made switching to renewable energy more accessible than ever.

Our government’s commitment to lower energy bill stress does not stop there: 1.7 million Victorians have also taken up the $250 power saving bonus, with more than 20,000 people in my electorate having received the bonus, and there is a new one coming up very soon. We know many Victorians are doing it tough, and we are committed to supporting families through programs that ease the cost of living and make it easier to stay on top of bills, grow renewable energy and reduce our emissions.