MPs and MLAs promoted the successes of the SHEPI scheme at a social housing unit in Flynn. Left to right, Josh Wilson, Andrew Leigh, Suzanne Orr and Yvette Berry. Photo: Nicholas Ward.
A government scheme to improve energy efficiency in public housing has hit a milestone – 3000 dwellings in Canberra have now been upgraded.
The properties have received upgraded insulation and more energy-efficient appliances through the Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative (SHEPI), which has committed $35.2 million to the ACT.
So far, the program has installed 250,000 metres of insulation, 700 reverse-cycle air conditioners and 1000 hot water heat pumps across the Territory. The target is to upgrade 5000 homes.
The program also provides education to renters on how to operate their homes efficiently.
“I just know that it’s going to make a difference to the living outcomes of people who live in our public housing properties here in the ACT, as well as community housing,” ACT Homes and New Suburbs Minister Yvette Berry said.
“We’re at 3000 now, which is a significant milestone, so we’re on target to meet that goal of 5000 by the end of next year.”
Federal Assistant Minister for Energy Josh Wilson said the program meant the Commonwealth wouldn’t let people fall behind.
“Social housing tenants have missed out on [energy efficiency improvements], partly because of the age of the housing stock and partly because of their circumstances,” he said.
“The Albanese government isn’t going to allow that to happen, and we’re really glad to partner with the ACT Government that has leaned into this area quite remarkably.”
An additional $12.9 million project to install solar panels on social housing, announced earlier this year, has also been funded by the Commonwealth for the ACT.
These upgrades are part of a wider $800 million program to upgrade 100,000 social housing units nationally through state and Commonwealth partnerships.
Nationally, 9500 units have received upgrades so far under the program.
Assistant Minister for Productivity Andrew Leigh said the changes will help keep Canberrans warmer for less.
“These energy upgrades benefit the public housing residents that are in them by ensuring that they’re warmer on those chilly Canberra days, and that they can make important savings on the energy bills,” Dr Leigh said.
The ACT has been at the forefront of changes to building codes and support for energy efficiency upgrades, with Molonglo rated the most energy-efficient suburb in Australia last year.
However, a study by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute in late 2024 found that even new builds in Australia are inefficient by international standards, and that while energy efficiency standards for newly built and substantially renovated homes started in 2003, 82 per cent of new Australian homes are still designed to meet only the minimum requirements.
For old homes, standards are even worse – 70 per cent of existing Australian houses have an energy rating of three stars or lower. By 2050, AHURI estimates there will still be seven million pre-existing homes that don’t meet housing energy standards.
Region asked the Assistant Minister for Energy why Australia had fallen so far behind the rest of the OECD.
“Australian insulation standards are set and updated regularly. The issue here is just the age of housing stock,” Mr Wilson said.
“If you’re talking about that legacy housing stock, the average sort of home energy rating can be around the two stars out of 10, rather than the six or seven stars that we would tend to see in new builds.
“So it makes sense that we want to upgrade that housing so that everybody can have the benefits of energy efficiency in their home, and that’s what this program is about.”
