SwitchedOn Australia

Trent Jones, founder of All Electric Homes, brings a tradie’s view of Australia’s electrification challenge. He explores why fragmented trades, clunky rebates and retailer subcontracting struggle with whole-home upgrades. Topics include cross-training, trusted local programs, integrated solar and batteries, heat-pump hot water, virtual power plants and the urgent need to redesign the industry behind the transition.

Michael Sheldrick, Australian social entrepreneur and Global Citizen co-founder, explores why reliable, clean electricity is key to tackling extreme poverty. He discusses solar and batteries, turning bold financial pledges into real projects, and plans to electrify four million homes. The conversation also examines Western Australia’s green industry potential, from renewable-powered exports to Collie’s coal-to-clean-energy transition.

Sarah Reid, co-founder of Electrify Canberra and a community electrification advocate, traces how a volunteer campaign grew into Go Electric, an ARENA-backed pilot for up to 1,000 homes. She discusses one-stop electrification services, upfront costs, renters, grid capacity, community trust, and using electric vehicles as batteries. She also shares how local organizing can turn bold ideas into scalable action.

As NSW considers minimum energy-efficiency standards for rental homes, Renew has modelled what different levels of upgrades would mean for tenants’ comfort and power bills. Its research found that even basic improvements can make homes healthier, but may increase bills when renters begin using newly installed heating and cooling. At the other extreme, an “excellent” retrofit costs substantially more while delivering only modest additional savings. A Goldilocks package, that combines insulation, shading, efficient heating and cooling, heat-pump hot water and rooftop solar, could cut energy bills by between two-thirds and three-quarters. Renew CEO Helen Oakey discusses what NSW’s standards should require, how the work should be financed, and why incentives alone are not enough.

Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar and home batteries are booming. But electricity still only accounts for around 21 per cent of the energy we consume. So why are we still burning so much gas, petrol and diesel when renewable electricity is increasingly cheap and abundant? More than 30 organisations have joined forces to launch Electrify Australia, pushing to accelerate electrification across homes, businesses, transport, farms and industry. But even when the economics stack up, grid connection delays, outdated regulation, conflicting government policies and entrenched interests can stand in the way, while renters, apartment dwellers and lower-income households risk being left behind. Energy Efficiency Council policy head Jeremy Sung explains what’s holding Australia back and what needs to change to turn our renewable energy success into an electrified economy.

Tim Ryan, an Australian energy specialist and consumer advocate, challenges the role of retailers in household electricity. They discuss why cheap solar can leave bills high, the pitfalls of Solar Sharer and virtual power plants, and how hot water, batteries and EVs could cut costs. Ryan also outlines a community-focused “Consumers’ Grid” giving households and networks a more direct relationship.

Three hours of free electricity sounds like a great deal, but Solar Sharer could leave some households paying more. Energy Futures Network director and electrical engineer, Ty Christopher argues a good policy has been undermined by the way it was designed and regulated. He says higher daily supply charges and higher electricity prices outside the free period mean some households may need to shift hundreds of dollars’ worth of energy use just to break even. Christopher argues the Australian Energy Regulator gave too much weight to “retailer viability” and not enough to the original goal of cutting consumers’ bills. He explains what went wrong, who might still benefit from Solar Sharer, and why consumers need to do the numbers very carefully before signing up.

As Australia moves toward an all-electric future, a key question looms: how can we meet the surge in electricity demand that will be needed when we all drive electric vehicles, heat our hot water with electricity, cook with induction stoves and heat and cool our homes with reverse cycle air conditioners? Modelling from the Australian National university, using the ACT as a case study, suggests the answer lies not in building more infrastructure but shifting when we use power. By charging electric vehicles and heating water during the day, when solar energy is plentiful and network demand is low, we could electrify our homes and transport without overloading the system. The lead researcher on the ANU study was Dr Bjorn Sturmberg, who now works with AEMO’s Future Energy Systems team.

Electrifying an apartment building can be complicated, but sometimes the biggest barrier is simply getting started. Ash Sayers, Director at Keystone, a Melbourne strata management company, explains why residents and owners corporations often assume solar, batteries and EV chargers will be too difficult to install, or won’t be approved. This can leave potentially viable projects stuck in the too-hard basket. While strata managers can’t drive electrification without a mandate from owners, they can play a crucial role in navigating approvals, common property, contractors and the practical steps needed to get projects over the line. Sayers shares examples of apartment buildings that have succeeded, and others that have hit genuine infrastructure constraints, and why a good feasibility study can separate the real barriers from the assumed ones. For more information on apartment electrification, and to find out if your building is eligible for a free electrification feasibility plan, Electrify Yarra, All Electric Homes and Keystone are holding an information session on Tuesday, 18 August in the Fitzroy Town Hall reading room at 6 pm.

Rowan Hearne was initially told he couldn’t install a hot water heat pump in his 1980s Canberra apartment. Instead of accepting "no," he worked with installers, engineers and his strata manager to find practical solutions that allowed him to replace gas hot water with a heat pump, improve insulation and install efficient heating and cooling. Accessing the ACT's Sustainable Household Scheme, he completed the upgrades with a 0% loan, making the transition affordable while improving comfort initially for himself and now, his tenants. Rowan shows that some of the biggest barriers to apartment electrification aren't technical - they're about knowing what's possible, asking the right questions, and finding people willing to help solve problems.