Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Ministers statements: Victorian energy upgrades program

Lily D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park – Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (14:24): I am delighted to update the house on our flagship energy savings program: Victorian energy upgrades (VEU). It is helping Victorians save money on their energy bills each and every year. The program has been a massive success, with over 2.4 million households and businesses saving thousands of dollars on their energy bills through reduced energy use, and Victorians are continuing to jump at the chance to get their hands on discounted products that will help save money on their energy bills each and every year.

Since we introduced electric appliances to the program in June last year, more than 5300 reverse-cycle heating and cooling systems have been installed, replacing old, inefficient gas appliances and saving those households up to $600 a year. Over 13,000 hot-water systems have been installed, with savings of up to $490 a year each and every year. In 2023 over half a million homes and businesses received discounted upgrades across the program. This is part of our energy fairness plan, delivering bill savings for every Victorian. But we are not stopping there. A ban on telemarketing in the VEU will start tomorrow, and doorknocking will be banned from 1 August. We have listened to consumers and are putting a stop to high-pressure sales tactics so Victorians can make informed decisions as they make these energy efficiency upgrades to their homes.

The other side of course are more interested in killing off the VEU – that is what they tried to do – because they do not care about energy fairness for Victorians. Today their only plan is to lock Victorians into expensive gas and nuclear energy, which will send their energy bills skyrocketing for decades – absolutely decades. Only the Allan Labor government delivers real energy bill savings for Victorians, because our energy fairness plan is about ensuring that we replace the old energy with the new energy, which is the cheapest form of new build that we can do, and making sure that every Victorian gets the benefit of that.