Bruce’s Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

What I want for Christmas …… Two things, just two please ….

1. 1. A clear and staged approach to mandatory disclosure of energy ratings.
   2. Recognition and action on Correct Disposal (ie recycling) of all of the appliances that are going to be replaced in houses as we move from gas to electricity!

Virtually everyday we have heard from the Energy Ministers (State and Federal), research bodies like Climateworks Centre, Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) and Property Council of Australia presenting the case for a significant energy transition in the built environment (incl household). They acknowledge the capacity problems of too few trades which is great. What we need now is to learn from the Green Loans fiasco of a decade or so ago and build a long term approach that will not just ramp up quickly but sustainably for the long term.

Step 1, get the software organised.

Step 2, provide an attractive incentive (not free) to build a workforce and finally, reduce the incentive and make it mandatory!

Finally, how long do we have to wait for NABERS ratings to be required for less than 1000m2? It was promised 10 years ago?

Correct Disposal of the hundreds of thousands of old air cons, gas heaters, gas cooktops and hot water systems is vital for a ‘healthy’ transition over the next 10 years. It is too easy for skips to head to landfill unless not only the Energy Efficiency schemes but the National Construction Code includes proof of correct disposal in the compliance rules. The alternative is a disaster as not only all the metals, wires, circuit boards and batteries will be scrapped off to landfill in huge numbers. Fluorescent tubes are still being sent en masse to landfill in skips regardless of EPA regulations, Australia being a signatory of the Minamata convention on mercury and the Lighting Council’s voluntary non binding fluorocycle program. The Energy Efficiency schemes have shown that the burden of proof works.

Make publication of energy ratings and correct disposal mandatory please!

Thanks Santa!!

Cheers,
Bruce

p.s. wishful thinking perhaps, but another wish is that we all relax and enjoy family and friends and come back with some energy to get on with all of this mountain of work required to move people to a more energy efficient and healthier future!

Bruce Easton | CEO
Bruce is the founder of Ecovantage and has extensive knowledge in energy efficiency schemes, certificates and technologies in Australia.

This was posted on LinkedIn 21/12/23. Please follow Bruce, comment and like this post.