The federal government’s proposed $1.5b energy relief package is an encouraging start that doesn’t go far enough to help homes and businesses get off gas.
Efficiency retrofits, solar panels, and necessary subsidies to help lower income families and small businesses change from gas to electricity are essential, but aren’t included in the plan.
Today, on the eve of the parliamentary vote to stand up to industry bullying, and while government negotiations with the war-profiteering industry continue, Friends of the Earth is calling for an urgent rethink.
As cost of living skyrockets and escalating energy prices put a pinch on household hip pockets — particularly for low income families — the relief package needs to be extended so as to ensure the community can afford to move away from gas permanently.
“Federal Government moves to cap gas prices and offer support for households experiencing bill shock is a powerful acknowledgement that energy prices have gotten out of hand for a great many Australians”, said Freja Leonard, No More Gas campaigner for Friends of the Earth Melbourne.
“However, this is only a short term solution. What lower income homes and businesses really need right now is help to get off gas entirely. The Federal Government is essentially giving people a fish when they need to be teaching them how to fish”, Ms Leonard said.
“Instead of giving people money which is essentially going to end up in untaxed gas industry profits, which mostly go offshore anyway, a better long term strategy is to help people improve their energy efficiency and help them switch off gas forever”, she said.
“By funding efficiency upgrades, solar panel installation and all electric appliances, the subsidies will bolster local tradespeople and the money will stay circulating in the community instead of nearly 95% of it going offshore in gas industry profits. And the community as a whole can finally say goodbye to polluting, unhealthy and unaffordable gas”, Ms Leonard said.
Freja Leonard is the primary author of the Community Gas Retirement Roadmap, a discussion paper about Victoria’s gas supply and use, offering 26 recommendations for the Victorian Government to fairly and rapidly transition the state off gas.
