By James Wells
CANBERRA: Households and businesses in remote parts of Western Australia will benefit from a four-year energy efficient program worth $5 million from the Australian government, including rebates for consumers who purchase energy efficient appliances.
The Regional Energy Efficiency Program applies to people living outside the south-west electricity grid, including the towns of Carnarvon, Broome and Esperance. It is expected to save over 13,000 megawatt hours of electricity, 3.8 million litres of fossil fuels and 10,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases.
The Federal Minister or the Environment and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell said yesterday that the rebates are designed to not only make a difference to consumers energy bills but also the environmental impact from excessive energy usage.
“Rebates for energy efficient fridges and freezers, refrigerative air conditioners and controllers for high energy consuming equipment will encourage people to think about the additional benefits of low energy use, including saving on energy bills over the lifetime of the product,” Senator Campbell said.
“Installing ceiling insulation can also attract a rebate. Good ceiling insulation not only saves energy, it is a critical comfort factor in many homes and a simple action for people to take to make their homes more comfortable in hot weather.”
Free compact fluorescent light bulbs will also be offered to each household as they use substantially less electricity and last much longer than traditional bulbs.
“Electricity supplies in off-grid areas are not always sufficient or of high quality. Saving electricity by using low energy appliances and light bulbs and by improving insulation will have an immediate effect on electricity use and supply to these areas. It’s a solution that provides benefits to the whole community,” Senator Campbell said.