More Victorians than ever before, including those from Hume and Whittlesea, are slashing their energy bills, with demand for the state government’s Solar Homes Hot Water Rebate at record levels.
Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio recently announced an expansion of the program with 8,000 additional rebates on offer in response to the huge demand.
This financial year there have already been 16,132 applications for the program, far exceeding the initial target – representing a 224 per cent increase from the previous year, before the year has even finished.
The expansion will save more Victorians $1,000 off the cost of installing a heat pump hot water system and up to $400 a year on their electricity bills.
Through the Solar Homes rebate and Victorian Energy Upgrades Program – thousands of households are swapping out gas and saving on their energy bills.
Heating and hot water are the biggest energy users in the home, accounting for more than 50 per cent of total energy usage – installing a heat pump hot water system alone can save a household up to $400 a year on electricity bills and when combined with rooftop solar, savings can be up to $1,400 a year.
Heat pump hot water systems have never been more popular – with more than 700 Victorians applying for the hot water rebate every week and 20,000 systems installed to date.
“More Victorians than ever before are taking advantage of our rebates and switching to efficient electric technology – saving thousands of dollars and driving down emissions,” said Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio.
