Matt Hewson
Geelong Sustainability launched its Electric Homes Program 2024 this week at Geelong West Town Hall.
Focused on helping households make the transition from gas and petrol to electric, the initiative links people with information, services and local businesses who can help make the switch to electric easier and cheaper.
The program offers help with solar, hot water systems, heating and cooling, cooktop installations, draught proofing and insulation, home energy audits and electric vehicle chargers.
It follows on from the success of last year’s inaugural program, which helped over 300 households make the change.
Geelong Sustainability chief executive Dan Cowdell said there were three main benefits to going electric.
“The cost element is first… for a fossil fuel home with annual running costs of close to $5000, it’s possible with an all-electric home powered with solar to be getting that down to about $500 per year,” he said.
“The second is the environmental side of things, taking action on climate change and reducing our carbon footprint.
“And the other one is around health. Something that surprised me was the research around burning gas in the home, particularly the gas cooktop. There’s research out there linking that to early childhood asthma cases, so what we thought was a clean burning fuel is not, really.”
Mr Cowdell said while last year’s participants were predominantly homeowners, there were excellent options out there for renters as well.
“There are rebates and incentives available to renters, which means that space opens up, particularly with solar,” he said.
Geelong Sustainability’s Electric Homes Program is open for applicants until October 30, with installations continuing into 2025. Visit electrichomes.com.au for more information.
