Without greater investment in renewables, federal budget fails to deliver long term financial relief for families

Australian Parents for Climate Action has called on the Federal Government to help families struggling with cost of living pressures, by providing more affordable access to electric vehicles and installation of solar panels to their homes.

While the temporary, one off tax cuts announced in yesterday’s Federal Budget will help alleviate some of the financial burdens families face today, a permanent solution is needed. Investment in renewable energy for households across Australia would help make painful price surges in fuel and energy a thing of the past.

“Cost of living is a huge issue for Australian parents who are struggling with rising fuel prices and stagnant wages,” said Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for Climate Action. “If the Federal Government invested more in renewable energy our weekly bills would fall, our carbon emissions would drop, and we would be creating jobs.”

Mother of three, Julia Jones, from Perth, has been able to afford solar panels and an electric vehicle. She said: “Our electricity bills now are as low as $30-$40 a month in Spring and Autumn, and this includes charging our car. On average, families in Western Australia spend $134 a month on petrol - and that was before the increase in petrol prices. We are lucky that we can afford to do this all upfront, and then save money in the long run. It should be much easier and more affordable for all Australian families to be able to get these weekly savings and reduce their cost of living.”

Palani Subramanian in Blacktown said: “Replacing gas for cooking & heating by electricity from solar panels will definitely be a win-win for my family, saving $1000 per year but also saving my family from respiratory diseases like asthma associated with gas use, and therefore also reduce health costs for the government.

“We have always managed with public transport with one child. However, after our second child it became impossible. While we wanted to buy an Electric Vehicle, the cost was at least three to four times more than a petrol car. If subsidies, tax exemptions & interest free loans were available for EVs, we could be saving at least $75 every week on today's high cost of living. And solar panels in my house can charge my EV instead of exporting energy to grid at one fourth the price of importing from the grid. “

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For more information or interviews contact: Nic Seton on 0407 638 973 or Emily Watkins on 0420 622 408.