As Australians are experiencing a cost of living crisis exacerbated by what the International Energy Agency has described as the worst energy crisis in history, renters are being locked out of the potential massive cost savings of switching to renewable energy, according to new polling and an Inquiry submission prepared by Environment Victoria.
The new polling (commissioned by renew Australia for all) shows that 79% of Victorians saw their energy bills rise in the past 12 months. One in three Victorians rents, and that share is growing as housing costs push home ownership further out of reach.
The polling further shows that more than 60% support Victoria’s upcoming minimum energy efficiency standards for rentals that will require landlords to provide efficient heating, cooling, insulation and hot water when they come into effect in March 2027.
With a highly contested state election eight months away, Environment Victoria has called on both major parties to demonstrate to renters that they have real solutions. Among renters, the Coalition is currently polling behind even minor parties in seats like Prahran, Northcote and Richmond.
“The Coalition has signalled it may roll back these electrification reforms – we are calling on the Opposition to be straight with renters – will minimum energy efficiency standards be safe under their government? Renters deserve an answer before November,” said Joy Toose, Environment Victoria’s Climate Campaign Manager.
In a wide ranging survey of Victorian renters taken as part of Environment Victoria’s submission to the current parliamentary inquiry into renewable and affordable energy for apartments, renters identified significant barriers to updating their apartments and breaking their reliance on fossil fuels for heating and cooling.
“We heard from renters who couldn’t afford to turn on their heating, and others who watched their landlord replace a broken gas heater with another gas heater, even after asking for something cheaper to run. Clean energy solutions are already saving households hundreds of dollars a year – but renters are being locked out of those savings by outdated rules and a rental market that puts the burden on tenants.”
“Renters can’t be an afterthought. They deserve the same access to clean, affordable energy as everyone else. Right now, homeowners can cut their bills with solar and efficient electric appliances — renters deserve those same solutions. This is a solvable problem. What’s missing is political will,” said Toose.