An energy transition for social housing

All Victorians have a right to live in a secure and healthy home.

Thousands of Victorians are now benefitting from renewable energy and more efficient homes – but structural barriers are excluding social housing residents from the transition.

Meeting Victoria’s targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions will require significant changes to both our energy system and housing, which is the source of approximately 20% of Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Without action now, social housing residents will be excluded from the health, financial, employment and social benefits that will come with the shift away from residential energy powered by fossil fuels.

Renew and our partners at Yarra Energy Foundation have made a submission to the Victorian government to argue that social housing residents must not be left behind in the energy transition that will shape the next 10 years.

We call on the government to:

• build new social housing to a 7+ star standard
• audit existing homes using the Victorian Residential Efficiency Scorecard
• conduct large-scale energy efficiency retrofits
• create jobs for residents in retrofit programs
• invest in onsite solar, community battery storage, replacement of gas appliances, and deliver a power purchase agreement (PPA) for social housing
• Provide support and concessions to reduce and manage energy costs

Our full submission is available here.