The Justice and Equity Centre welcomes the NSW Government’s Home Energy Saver Program (HESP) announcement, with support for NSW households who would otherwise be left behind and miss out on the substantial benefits of household electrification and energy efficiency.
Many aspects of the program align with key recommendations made by the JEC’s Energy and Water Justice team to prioritise equity and focus on making a substantial difference for the NSW households who stand to benefit most from more affordable energy.
Comments attributable to Energy and Water Justice Director Douglas McCloskey:
‘We applaud the NSW Government for its strong focus on equity in this program, with substantial support for households with limited resources who would otherwise be left out of the energy transition. These are the people who most need the benefits this program will deliver.
‘This announcement comes at a critical time. Many people are struggling with cost of living and there is an increasing urgency to get households off gas. This program provides a practical means of addressing both those things.
‘The program will give up-front support for upgrades that deliver long-term benefits to many NSW households struggling with high energy costs driven by homes that are inefficient and expensive to run.
‘We appreciate the time that has been taken to get this important policy right. The Home Energy Saver Program is the central plank of the Governments Consumer Energy Strategy and will hopefully be a long-term driver of the critical work needed to electrify NSW households and improve their energy efficiency.
‘We look forward to working with the NSW Government and other stakeholders to implement this program and ensure it reaches those who need it most. We hope this is just the first step, with the program expanded and built on over many years.’
Media contact: Media and Communications Manager, Dan Buhagiar, 0478 739 280
