The Victorian government’s Solar Homes Hot Water Rebate scheme is at record levels.
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio has announced an expansion of the program with 8,000 additional rebates on offer in response to the huge demand.
This financial year there has already been 16,132 applications for the program, far exceeding the initial target – representing a 224 per cent increase from the previous year, before the year has even finished.
The expansion will save more Victorians $1,000 off the cost of installing a heat pump hot water system and up to $400 a year on their electricity bills.
“Through our Solar Homes rebate and Victorian Energy Upgrades Program – thousands of households are swapping out gas and saving on their energy bills,” she said.
“Heating and hot water are the biggest energy users in the home, accounting for more than 50 per cent of total energy usage - installing a heat pump hot water system alone can save a household up to $400 a year on electricity bills and when combined with rooftop solar, savings can be up to $1,400 a year.”
Heat pump hot water systems have never been more popular - with more than 700 Victorians applying for the hot water rebate every week and 20,000 systems installed to date.
These residents join more than 350,000 Victorian households who have received a rebate or loan to take up rooftop solar, home batteries, heat pump hot water systems, and other energy efficient appliances since 2018.
“To ensure fast installation of solar hot water systems, the Labor Government is also delivering free training to upskill plumbers through an $11 million workforce development program to grow Victoria’s clean energy workforce,” D’Ambrosio said.