Independent running against Dutton wants bipartisan focus on home batteries after cyclone outages

The independent candidate running against Coalition leader Peter Dutton for the seat of Dickson has called on the major parties to develop a bipartisan policy to expedite the installation of home battery systems in Australia.

Environmental consultant Ellie Smith’s campaign for the seat – which is the most marginal in Queensland, with Dutton holding onto the seat by a thin margin of 1.7 per cent – rests on a suite of policies geared towards reducing cost of living pressures.

With 30,000 homes and businesses in the electorate without power in the days following ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, Smith has called on the two major parties to put forward their plans for home battery installations now.

“Home battery energy storage systems are the best way to immediately reduce energy costs, support a more reliable electricity grid; and encourage a more sustainable roll out of rooftop solar,” Smith said. 

About 64 per cent of dwellings in Dickson have rooftop solar systems.

“Home batteries help make homes more resilient during blackouts. They could have helped thousands of homes stay connected during Cyclone Alfred – just in Dickson alone,” said Smith.

“More than 60 per cent of homes in Dickson have already installed rooftop solar systems, but only a fraction have been able to afford a home battery. 

“It means that many of these homes are practically giving their excess energy away to their energy company, while paying higher rates for electricity when the sun isn’t shining.”

She cited the experience of one local, Jeremy Mansfield, whose 13.5kWh home battery switched to ‘storm mode’ as the cyclone approached Brisbane’s northwest on Saturday. 

‘Storm mode’ is a feature of many home batteries. It ensures a battery is fully charged before the arrival of a storm or potential outage, even pulling power from the grid if needed, and can prevent discharge while the grid is operational to conserve power in case of an outage.

“It’s a no-brainer to pair batteries with solar in homes as fast as possible,’ said Mansfield. 

“It stores excess solar power, saves money, and takes stress off the grid during peak periods. Best of all, it keeps us powered during outages—there’s real peace of mind knowing the battery’s got our back.”

Redcliffe resident Chris Davies has been keeping his home powered since Saturday with his 40kWh battery system. 

“Our battery was fully charged from our rooftop solar by the time Alfred hit land,” he said. 

“And we’ve kept our fridge, hot water, lights, computers, phones and other appliances powered over the past few days. The sun came out yesterday, and by the end of the day our battery was up to 80 per cent again.” 

Davies was able to help out his neighbours, too, connecting their freezer to his battery – which he bought with the help of a government rebate that no longer exists – at the start of the outage.

Smith said she wanted the parties to prioritise home battery systems in their election campaigns.

“This could include a rebate program, incentives for landlords with benefits flowing to renters and a low or no interest loan scheme,” she said.

“People in Dickson are sick and tired of hearing that the LNP or Labor will only release their policies closer to the election. If it’s a good idea, tell us now and work together after the election to make the policy even better.

“This super charged home battery policy should be up and running before we enter the high winter billing period and to insulate customers from any potential energy bill increases on July 1,” she said.