The One Million Homes Alliance, co-ordinated by Environment Victoria, brings together councils, businesses, unions and social and environment groups.
The alliance wants state and federal governments to retrofit a million homes of concession card holders including pensioners.
Retrofitting would involve a home energy audit, advice on efficient water and energy use, installing energy-efficient lighting, weather sealing, insulation, solar water heating, low-flow showerheads, tap-flow controllers, dual-flush toilets and fridge upgrades.
Hume Mayor Geoff Porter said the program would help Victorians fight climate change and rising energy and water bills.
“Bringing one million older houses up to date with modern water and energy-efficiency standards could cut Victoria’s greenhouse emissions by an estimated 2.38 million tonnes per year, save over 30 billion litres of water annually, and cut average household energy and water bills by an average of $296 per year,” he said.
“Leaving these older houses to leak energy and water … undermines all our other efforts to control greenhouse pollution and water use.”
Broadmeadows pensioners Sonja and John Rutherford, both 73, would be eligible to have their home retrofitted if the alliance was successful.
Mrs Rutherford, assistant secretary of Broadmeadows Progress Association, said the proposed scheme would help people on lower incomes reduce their energy use.
For more details about the One Million Homes campaign, hop here