Community housing tenants across 1,400 SGCH (St George Community Housing) properties will see their energy bills collectively slashed by about $800,000 a year following a $5.4 million energy upgrade.
The NSW Government and SGCH will each invest $2.7 million in a joint pilot project to improve energy efficiency across 1,400 SGCH households in metropolitan Sydney.
State Environment Minister Mark Speakman said yesterday the upgrades will include new rooftop solar panels, installing ceiling insulation, replacing electric water heaters with heat pump systems, installing LED lights and introducing sustainable improvements to new building projects.
“We expect the upgrades to save, on average, $570 dollars per property," he said.
The project is part of the Government’s $26.8 million Home Energy Action program, designed to introduce energy efficiency improvements to low-income households across the state. The project will also contribute towards the Government’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan goal to save 16,000 gigawatt hours of energy a year by 2020.
SGCH Group CEO, Scott Langford, said the upgrade will support tenants that are vulnerable to rising energy costs and allow them to benefit from savings now and in the future.
Businesses can also benefit from the Energy Efficiency Action Plan (EEAP) with a range of specialist programs available that provide financial assistance to help deliver a more sustainable organisation.
Details at www.environment.nsw.gov.au