The Keneally government can help ease the burden of rising electricity prices with better energy efficiency incentives and a public awareness campaign on how to save energy, according to the Nature Conservation Council of NSW.
A 20 per cent cut in energy use through energy efficiency would save the typical household up to $200 a year on their energy bills. It would also go a long way to reducing the 14 tonnes of carbon pollution produced by the average Australian home each year.
“The NSW community is not only feeling the pinch from the budget impact of surging power costs but we are all paying a significant environment cost for dirty coal-fired power,” Nature Conservation Council of NSW Chief Executive Officer, Pepe Clarke, said today.
“Energy efficiency and demand management are powerful tools for making the best use of our current energy supplies and reducing greenhouse emissions. Government investment and changes in consumer habits now can cut household expenses, decrease pollution, create sustainable business opportunities and may delay the need for new coal-fired power stations in NSW.
“Strategies such as the solar feed-in tariff; installation of smart meters; higher energy efficiency standards for new houses and renovations; and tighter regulation of appliance efficiencies can all reduce energy demand and lower peak loads.
“A commitment by government to simple, cost-effective demand management and efficiency measures would pave the way for an end to the state’s reliance on coal-fired power and fast-track the opportunity for a renewable energy economy,” he said.
