Advocacy and research

Energy efficiency standards for rentals

All homes should be healthy and affordable, but too many renters live in leaky, uninsulated homes that are too hot in summer, too cold in winter and cost too much to run. Renters pay around 8% more on energy bills than homeowners. They also depend on landlords to pay for upgrades like insulation or efficient heating, and landlords have little incentive to invest when the savings go to their tenants. Renew is calling on governments to set minimum energy efficiency standards that every rental home must meet. Victoria and the ACT have made a start, and NSW is now considering rental standards legislation.

Our Fit to Rent report shows what’s possible: in NSW, moderate upgrades cut energy bills by two-thirds to three-quarters while keeping homes at healthy temperatures.

Mandatory disclosure of home energy ratings

When you buy or rent a home, you can see how many bedrooms it has, what the parking is like and whether the water flow is good, but unless you are buying in the ACT, you have almost no way of knowing what it will cost to heat and cool, or how it will cope in a heatwave.

Australia’s energy ministers have agreed a national framework for disclosing home energy ratings, and NatHERS ratings for existing homes are being rolled out across the country. But each state and territory will decide whether disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, and whether it covers homes for lease as well as sale.

Renew is calling for mandatory disclosure of energy ratings on every home sold or leased, so buyers and renters can make informed choices and better homes are rewarded. It matters most for renters, who can’t see how a home is built and can’t fix it once they’ve signed the lease.

Retrofitting for resilience

The vast majority of Australian homes were built before minimum efficiency regulations were introduced in 2003, and average only 1.7 stars in terms of energy efficiency. Without action, this large stock of homes will continue to impose significant energy hardship, health and climate risks into the future. Efficiency upgrades for the average home could cut household energy bills by up to $1,300 a year depending on region.

Our 2024 research with Sweltering Cities found Australia’s homes aren’t built for the climate that’s coming. Brisbane homes could need twice as much energy for cooling by 2050, and a 7-star Queensland home built today could rate zero stars by 2090 under a severe climate change scenario. Read Future-proofing Australia’s homes →

People on low incomes, renters and social housing tenants are more likely to live in poor quality housing and rely on inefficient appliances that are cheap to buy but expensive to run. But those most in need are typically locked out of access to efficiency upgrades because they can’t afford the upfront costs, face language, cultural or other barriers, or rent their homes.

Consumer-focused energy markets

In the National Electricity Market, Renew is a formally recognised Consumer Advocacy organisation, and has been active and effective in energy market policy and regulatory issues over the past fifteen years. As part of our ongoing consumer advocacy work, Renew is a participant member of the National Consumer Roundtable on Energy.

Working in collaboration with other consumer advocates, Renew has played a key role in improving outcomes for Australian households.

Read more about Renew’s consumer-focused energy markets advocacy.