To: The Victorian Government
Rebates for Renters
Renters shouldn’t need to own a roof to benefit from solar power.
Victorian homeowners have received substantial government support to install rooftop solar, cut their electricity bills and protect themselves from rising energy costs.
But more than 600,000 Victorian rental households are being left out.
We call on the Victorian Government to establish a Rebates for Renters program that:
- provide Victorian rental households with a stake in SEC-owned renewable energy equivalent to the government support available to homeowners installing rooftop solar;
- delivers the value of that renewable energy through direct credits on renters’ electricity bills;
- allows renters to keep their entitlement when they move between rental properties; and
- prioritises renters experiencing housing stress and energy hardship as the program is rolled out.
Why is this important?
Most renters cannot install solar panels to save on their energy bills. They pay electricity bills like everyone else, but miss out on the biggest direct savings from renewable energy.
This is unfair.
Renters are already being squeezed by rising rents, insecure housing and the cost of living. They should not also be forced to pay higher energy bills simply because they do not own their home.
The solution
Victoria now has a publicly owned energy company: the SEC.
The SEC can give renters a share of publicly owned solar and wind generation, with the value of the electricity produced credited directly to their power bills.
Under a Rebates for Renters program:
- Victorian rental households would receive a stake in an SEC-owned solar or wind farm;
- renters would receive credits on their electricity bills from the renewable energy generated;
- renters could take their entitlement with them whenever they move house; and
- the renewable generation would remain publicly owned for the long-term benefit of Victorians.
A renter should not need their landlord’s permission, a suitable roof or thousands of dollars upfront to access cheaper renewable energy.
The SEC gives Victoria the opportunity to make renewable energy genuinely available to everyone—not just property owners.
Publicly owned renewable energy should mean cheaper bills for everyone.
Publicly owned renewable energy should mean cheaper bills for everyone.
Give renters their fair share of Victoria’s renewable future.
