9 in 10 Australians want government intervention to combat costly energy bills
Aussies are sick of forking out for high household energy bills and they want the government to step in to help reduce them, the latest results from the YouGov Galaxy survey released yesterday show.
The survey of 1,000 voters - commissioned by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), the Property Council of Australia and the Energy Efficiency Council - revealed that 90% of Australians agreed that it was important or very important for the government to help out households and businesses in cutting bills.
According to Ken Morrison, Chief Executive of the Property Council of Australia, the survey results should come as a wakeup call to the government, which should begin to address concerns beyond the supply side of the energy debate.
“This survey shows the community recognises the benefits of energy efficiency and strongly supports common sense action to reduce their bills. With both business and the community on board, we now need governments to step up and show leadership on energy efficiency,” he said.
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The YouGov Galaxy survey results also back up a number of findings from Roy Morgan’s Single Source survey released in January, which revealed a gradual decline in customer satisfaction towards Australian electricity providers in the 12 months to November 2017, with expensive bills being one of the driving factors.
Roy Morgan’s survey indicated that up to 1.2 million Australian households were also considering making the switch to a different energy plan as a result of their dissatisfaction.
Voters issue energy efficiency edict
Aside from bill prices, the YouGov Galaxy survey highlighted the enthusiasm among Australian voters for the government to focus more on energy efficient solutions, with 88% in favour of greater investment in energy efficiency.
The consensus among respondents was strong for a range of energy efficiency policies, including 92% support for making schools and hospitals more energy efficient and 80% support for the implementation of minimum standards in rental homes.
“Efforts to improve energy efficiency for low-income and disadvantaged households can mean that people on low incomes are not forced to choose between putting food on the table or heating their homes in the coming winter months,” said Cassandra Goldie, CEO of ACOSS.
“Upgrading an existing home from the equivalent of 2 stars to 5 stars can save a household $600 a year. Mandating energy efficient standards for rental properties and investing in energy efficiency measures for low-income households, will make a huge difference to energy stress, health and wellbeing.”
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