Disadvantaged households and energy efficiency
Disadvantaged households already spend proportionally more of their income on household power than do high-income households. The rising cost of energy that will result from Emissions Trading Schemes, carbon taxes and other policies, threatens to make this worse unless ways can be found to help disadvantaged households make necessary investments in energy saving – like better insulation, appliances that use less power and cleaner forms of heating and cooling. By helping them cut their energy use in this way, rather than the less effective way of subsidising their continuing inefficient energy use, we can make low-income Australians part of the solution to climate change.
Events
Seminar: Energy efficiency social enterprises in the United Kingdom
4 September 2008
Bruce Thompson, Program Director for Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd, spoke about UK energy efficiency social enterprises at a Brotherhood lunchtime seminar.
Bruce Thompson's presentation (PDF file, 444 KB)
Bruce Thompson's paper (PDF file, 164 KB)
Coming Together for Climate Change Equity Forum
6 June 2008
Organised by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, the Department of Sustainability and Environment, and the Victorian Local Governance Association, this forum brought together state government, local government, and the social service sector to consider ways to minimise the impacts and harness the opportunities of climate change.
UK experts Gill Owen and David Green shared insights from the impacts of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme on household energy prices and from the substantial UK programs to eradicate fuel poverty and improve domestic energy efficiency.
Gill Owen's presentation (PDF file, 176 KB)
Climate change roundtable: addressing the needs of low income households in the private rental market
18 December 2007
Read the roundtable report, Enabling low-income households in the private rental market to respond to climate change (PDF file, 600 KB)
Media releases
One Million Homes program best path to meet Brumby's five-star home upgrade promise 27 July 2010
Rudd plan a first step in climate proofing for a challenging future 3 February 2009
As we swelter, Government should initiate home energy efficiency program 2 February 2009
Garnaut green light for energy efficiency scheme for low-income homes 30 September 2008
Plan to climate proof 3.5 million homes 25 September 2008
Brotherhood and KPMG to conduct impact analysis on low-income households under Carbon Scheme 22 July 2008
Articles, reports and papers
Josie Lee and Damian Sullivan 2008 ‘Towards climate-proofing: a national energy efficiency program for low-income households’, Brotherhood Comment, November, pp.1–2 (PDF file, 442 KB)
Damian Sullivan and Josie Lee 2008 ‘Responding to climate change: UK lessons for protecting low-income households’, Brotherhood Comment, August, pp.14–15 (PDF file, 294 KB)
Damian Sullivan 2008, ‘Responding to climate change: Steps to assist low-income private renters’, Brotherhood Comment, pp.6–7 (PDF file, 255 KB)
KPMG 2008, Stimulating the Australian economy through a national energy efficiency program (PDF file, 24 KB)
Brotherhood of St Laurence and KPMG 2008, A national energy efficiency program to assist low-income households (PDF file, 1.7 MB)
Brotherhood of St Laurence 2008, Enabling low-income households in the private rental market to respond to climate change: recommendations and report from the roundtable convened December 2007 by the Brotherhood of St Laurence (PDF file, 600 KB)
Damian Sullivan 2008, Climate change: addressing the needs of low-income households in the private rental market: background paper, Brotherhood of St Laurence (PDF file, 80 KB)
Go to research in progress about climate change.