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Households

The SEC will support households by developing products and solutions to help them switch to electric.

Victorians want a renewable energy future and have shown a strong appetite for moving to all-electric homes. But we still face challenges in reducing our home energy bills and emissions.

With around 80% of households connected to gas, Victorians use more gas at home than any Australian state. Switching heating, hot water and other appliances to electric will help reduce emissions and energy bills. In fact, all-electric homes can lower household energy bills significantly. The SEC will support households by developing products and solutions to help them switch to electric.

There are challenges. Factors such as long lead times and price volatility affect supply chains. Education and training are needed to ensure tradespeople, installers, and other industry practitioners have the knowledge and skills to support households to switch to energy efficient appliances.

Cost and complexity can be barriers to switching, and many people don’t know about the services and technologies available or the longer-term financial benefits. The challenges are even greater for tenants and those who live in apartments.

The SEC will find solutions to help more Victorian households access renewable energy and improve their understanding of the support available to make the switch.

Key actions

Pilot household solutions in 2024 with the view to roll out to more households over time

Educate and engage industry and households on the options and benefits of all-electric homes.

Helping households

As a government-owned business, the SEC will ensure that more Victorians benefit from the renewable energy transition.

We’ll support households, including renters, to go electric by providing products and services that remove some of the barriers to switching.

We’ll focus on products that align with our guiding principles to accelerate the transition, deliver sustainable returns on the capital we are investing on behalf of Victorians and provide broader benefits to the Victorian public, such as local employment and lower power bills.

More affordable energy

Through our investments, the SEC will push more energy into the system, putting downward pressure on wholesale power prices and delivering benefits for all Victorians.

We’ll support Victorians to electrify their homes. Electrifying our homes can cut household energy bills and remove the health impacts of gas cooking and heating.

Indicative annual savings by going electric

Residents of a typical new, all electric detached home (without solar) will spend around $2,070 per year on energy bills, compared with around $2,950 per year for a dual-fuel (electric and gas) home, saving almost $900 per year.  Savings can increase to approximately $1,820 a year for households choosing to install solar panels.

Converting an existing home with solar panels from gas to electricity can save around $2,000 a year on energy bills. If the existing dual-fuel home does not have solar panels, converting to all electric will save around $1,700 per year.

A focus on where it matters most

We’ll focus on what matters most in supporting Victorians to electrify their homes.

This includes transitioning from gas heating, hot water and cooking to electric options such as reverse-cycle heating and air-conditioning, heat pump hot water, and induction cooktops.

Transitioning chart

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