With rising interest rates and inflation, cost of living is front of mind for many of us.
In July, some Australians saw their electricity bills rise by as much as 25 per cent. So, now more than ever, people are looking at ways to use less power and live more sustainably, which opens up a world of opportunities for savvy builders and electricians.
Energy efficient products trending up
Rising electricity prices has led to a 20 per cent increase in residential solar power installations, from the first half of 2022 to the first half of 2023. Household power is just one of the ways where people are looking to cut costs and embrace a greener approach. Electric vehicle (EV) adoption is gaining momentum. In the first half of 2022 EV vehicle sales only accounted for two per cent of new vehicle purchases, compared with eight per cent in 2023.
Get ahead of the curve and learn the ins and outs of EV charging stations.
It pays to go green
The recent Federal Budget outlined a number of incentives to small businesses and households who adopt energy efficient initiatives.
Here are some of the initiatives that are relevant to tradespeople who can offer expertise in going green:
- Small Business Support – small business energy incentive: Small and medium businesses will be able to deduct an additional 20 per cent of the cost of eligible depreciating assets that support electrification and more efficient use of energy. This includes: electrifying their heating and cooling systems, upgrading to more efficient fridges and induction cooktops and installing batteries and heat pumps.
- ACT Sustainable Household Scheme: Concessional loans of up to $15k per household to electrify or improve the efficiency of their homes.
- Household Energy Upgrades Fund: The initiative includes low-cost finance for home upgrades that save energy, funding to support upgrades to social housing that save energy, funding to support other initiatives to improve energy performance and expanding and modernising the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS).
New builds must be more sustainable than ever
A recent update to the National Construction Code increases the minimum level of thermal performance of new homes to the equivalent of 7 stars under NatHERS. This will deliver a significant improvement in thermal comfort for occupants. There are exceptions for some climate zones.
For builders and electricians who are up to speed on the latest energy efficient products and methods, the new (greener) landscape looks bright.