The federal government is kicking $8.2 million to back a trial to support a new one-stop-shop for home electrification, and provide a simpler way for 1,000 households in the national capital to electrify and get off gas.
The project, led by startup Electric Future, supported by Rewiring Australia, and funded through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), will work with up to 1,000 households in southern Canberra to test the digital one-stop-shop platform.
The idea is that a household uses the digital platform, effectively an app managed by Electric Future as a single point of contact for quotes, rebates, and the coordination of tradies and installations, meaning applicants no longer need to coordinate this themselves.
One of the big barriers to electrification has been the cost and complexity, and while websites such as Solar Choice and Solar Quotes provide insight into solar and battery components, the Go Electric concept expands this to appliances as well including cooktops, heating and cooling and hot water, and manages the relationships as well.
Electric Future managing director Nathan Brown says the barrier to switching from gas isn’t the technology, but knowledge.
“Electrifying a home today means getting multiple quotes, coordinating trades, working out which rebate applies and hoping it all lines up. Electric Future replaces that with a curated service — one organisation arranges it, and one organisation is accountable,” Brown said in a statement.
Financial aid is also being offered for the installations. The support is tiered, and most households eligible to join the trial will get a 20 per cent rebate off installation work and concessional finance at 3 per cent on the first $20,000 of work.
Concession card holders may be offered a zero per cent interest rate on the first $10,000, plus a rebate on selected electrification products, and households in severe financial hardship may be eligible for fully funded upgrades.
Federal energy minister Chris Bowen says a single location for expert advice, fixed-price quotes, trusted installers and ongoing support will provide confidence in making the switch from gas.
“Home upgrades can make a big difference to everyday life – not just to comfort and ease of use, but also to your hip pocket and the health of everyone under your roof,” Bowen said in a statement
“But upgrading your home can feel daunting, you need to work out the right upgrades for your home and your needs, then find someone you trust to install them for the right price.”
A key outcome will be to show that home electrification can be delivered at scale.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller says Australians shouldn’t need to be energy experts to electrify their homes.
“For many households, the barrier to electrification is not just the technology. It can be knowing where to start, comparing products and quotes, finding trusted installers, navigating rebates and finance, managing upfront costs, and understanding which choices will deliver the best outcome for their home,” he said in a statement.
“This project is designed to tackle these barriers by testing an end-to-end service that brings the process together in one place – from customer advice and fixed-price quoting, to installer matching, scheduling, quality checks, rebate processing and ongoing support.”
Senator David Pocock, who represents the ACT, said the commitment to trial electrifying homes at scale in one suburb in every state and territory, was negotiated in the last term of parliament.
He said it stems from a grass roots community campaign – Electrify Canberra – that David embraced as part of his first campaign to enter parliament alongside inventor Saul Griffith, founder of rewiring America and Rewiring Australia.
“We have to ensure everyone in our community benefiting from household electrification – not just those who can afford it,” Senator Pocock said.
“We need to accelerate the transition to fully electrified households – these pilots will be an important way ARENA can learn how to speed this up at scale and the kind of supports and regulatory changes needed to achieve this.”
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