Joint media release: Community-led smart energy trial to blaze trail for home electrification

The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy

The Hon Alison Byrnes MP, Member for Cunningham

The Albanese Government is supporting households in NSW’s 2515 postcode electrify their homes and cut their energy bills and emissions.

Backed by $5.4 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Residents will be able to apply for subsidies for a range of devices to support their household electrification.

Energy-efficient electric appliances and consumer energy resources will be installed in participating homes in the suburbs of Austinmer, Clifton, Coledale, Scarborough, Thirroul and Wombarra, along with a smart energy management device to optimise energy use.

The ARENA funding will help households purchase heat pump hot water and space heating systems, batteries, and other consumer energy resources with these to be managed by the Home Energy Management System (HEMS).

The project will generate insights into consumer behaviour, attitudes and energy bill savings to better inform how home electrification could be scaled across Australia.

The Electrify 2515 Community Pilot, is led by Brighte, a green finance company in partnership with Rewiring Australia and Endeavour Energy.

Each household will have a free smart energy management device or HEMS installed to optimise their energy use, and support switchboard upgrades to enable the connection of new appliances.

The Electrify 2515 Community Pilot responds to a two-year campaign by local residents eager to play a leading role in the clean energy transition and reduce household emissions through electrification.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen:

“Communities across Australia are seeing the benefits of the clean energy transformation, and the Albanese Government is delivering the leadership and support they need to grasp those benefits.

“This ARENA pilot project supporting home electrification will help create valuable insights into how households can transition to renewables and smart energy systems to cut energy costs and reduce emissions."

Quotes attributable to Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes:

“It’s great to have experts like Saul Griffith and his team at Rewiring Australia leading a home electrification project right here in the Illawarra.

“I look forward to seeing this project provide valuable insights and data in how this model could be rolled out across communities, particularly our more vulnerable households in lower socioeconomic areas who would benefit greatly from reduced energy bills."