THE HON GREG COMBET AM MP
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Minister for Industry and Innovation
THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
Cabinet Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation
FUNDING TO SUPPORT SMART ENERGY USE IN LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS
The Gillard Government has announced additional support to those who need it most, allocating $39.8 million to Round One recipients of the $100 million Low Income Energy Efficiency Program (LIEEP).
The Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Mark Dreyfus, today confirmed 11 successful recipients for Round One.
"This funding will be used to trial ways of helping low income households to become energy smart. Up to 25,000 low income households are expected to benefit. The LIEEP is also designed to create new local job opportunities," Mr Combet said.
The 11 projects will be delivered by various consortia, including not-for-profit groups, with a focus on energy efficiency; welfare organisations; charities; trade unions and manufacturing companies. Service providers with experience working with low income families and an understanding of the issues they face will also be engaged.
Each project aims to address the barriers to energy efficiency uptake - such as access to information, upfront capital costs and existing behaviours - through trials that will collect data to inform future energy efficiency programs and policies.
The projects also focus on often hard to reach parts of low income Australia, for example, people living in long stay arrangements in caravan parks and within remote Indigenous communities.
"The LIEEP is part of the Gillard Government's effort to assist in the transition to a clean energy future and will help support households most vulnerable to rising prices to make smart energy choices and reduce their energy costs," Mr Dreyfus said.
"As a Labor Government, we are pleased to be partnering with trusted community organisations to trial these projects and offer further help to low income households."
Activities will include retrofitting low income houses with energy efficient appliances, installing inhome displays to show energy consumption, providing financial training and brokerage assistance, and engaging specific target groups such as workers on low incomes or Indigenous communities in their own language through peer training.
The successful projects will be rolled out over four years, with the lead organisations receiving funding progressively over that time. The LIEEP is funded by revenue from the carbon price.
"Investment in smart energy use now will help to lower our energy use in the future and help households to lower their electricity bills," Mr Combet said.
Full details of the 11 successful Round One recipients are attached.
To find out more about the LIEEP visit: http://www.climatechange.gov.au/
MONDAY, 17 DECEMBER 2012
