As the weather heats up, many people on low incomes will be forced to live in unbearably hot homes. Most rental properties and social housing dwellings are simply not built to withstand the increasingly hot Australian summer.
And people on the lowest incomes, who already depriving themselves of energy in the face of mounting gas and electricity bills, either have no choice to install air-conditioning or simply can’t afford to run fans or air conditioners. That means that they are forced to live in hot boxes that are making them sick or die.
That’s why we need our governments to take urgent action to ensure that everyone is able to live in a healthy, energy-efficient home.
Will you sign on to our petition urging the Australian government to provide support for low-income households to invest in measures to lower energy usage and introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for homes making them cooler in the summer and cheaper to run?
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PETITION TEXT
Dear Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen,
As the weather heats up, many members of our community will be forced to live in unbearably hot homes.
An estimated 36,000 deaths were associated with heat between 2006 and 2017.*
There are no minimum energy efficiency standards for our homes, and as a result, many private and public rental properties are simply not built to withstand the increasingly hot Australian summer.
Those on the lowest incomes are bearing the brunt of this issue. They are already unable to afford the cost of mounting gas and electricity bills, let alone the additional cost of running a fan or air conditioner during the summer months (if their home even has one)
We urge you to take action to improve the energy efficiency of homes by:
- Facilitating a program in partnership with States and Territories to invest in energy efficiency, electrification and solar of low-income homes.
- Coordinating with States and Territories to introduce minimum mandatory energy efficiency standards for rental properties.
*’We know that heat kills; accurately measuring these deaths will help us assess the impacts of climate change’, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions (25 Feb 2021)