Cutting bills and helping the planet? It's electrifying ...

When you add together your electricity bill, gas bill and the cost of petrol or diesel for a car, energy is one of the biggest household expenses. The good news is that there has never been more help available to make your home cheaper to run.

Homes with all-electric appliances with rooftop solar, home batteries and electric vehicles can be up to $5000 a year cheaper to run. They’re also better for our health and environment.

With electricity prices constantly changing and global events continuing to affect fuel prices, more Illawarra families are deciding it's time to electrify. And there are plenty of incentives to help.

Interest-free loans and discounts 

For households with combined income under $210,000, the NSW Home Energy Saver scheme offers an interest-free loan of $15,000 plus a $4000 discount for households with income under $80,000 per annum.

This is open to landlords and strata unit owners as well as house owners. If you're renting, it's worth chatting with your landlord – upgrading an old hot water system or air conditioner could benefit everyone.

Make sure you’ve claimed all utility bill discounts you might be eligible for under the NSW Households Financial support rebates, grants and incentives scheme. These discounts can add up to quite a few hundred dollars a year so it’s important to check whether you’re eligible and apply.

Air-conditioner and hot water system upgrades

Replacing an old electric or gas system with a heat pump is one of the smartest upgrades you can make. Heat pumps use around a third of the energy of older systems and could save around $400 a year. The NSW Government Household Energy Saving Upgrades scheme offers discounts of $330 to $640 while efficient air-conditioner upgrades can attract discounts of around $550.

Rooftop solar and batteries

Solar panels and home batteries have also become much more affordable. 

Federal rebates are automatically included in quotes, reducing the upfront cost by around $2500 for a typical 10 kW solar system and around $3500 for a 16 kWh battery.  

It’s worth considering purchasing your system through the Illawarra Shoalhaven Communities Program, a joint council initiative for solar and batteries. The program offers payment plans over five years to make it easier for household budgets (shinehub.com.au/isjo/).

For strata/multi-unit complexes, the NSW Solar for Apartment Residents (SoAR) grant program offers grants of up to $150,000 per strata complex to install a shared solar system. Applications close on December 4.

The NSW Government also offers a one-off rebate for joining a virtual power plant.

Electric vehicles

Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly mainstream. Charging at home from rooftop solar can cost the equivalent of less than 20 cents per litre, while maintenance is simpler and cheaper than for petrol cars. New EVs are available from $24,000, there’s a growing second-hand market and more public fast-chargers appearing across the region. If you're employed, a novated lease can make ownership even more affordable thanks to tax benefits, while EV subscriptions and rentals are a great way to try one before committing.

Feeling overwhelmed? Don't be. You don't need to electrify your entire home overnight. The easiest approach is simply to choose an efficient electric replacement each time an appliance or vehicle reaches the end of its life. A little planning now means you'll be ready when the hot water system gives up or the old cooktop finally calls it quits.

Happy electrifying!

Visit the Electrify Illawarra website