Energy Efficient Communities Program

On 28 February 2019, the Minister for Energy announced the Energy Efficient Communities Program which aims to deliver up to three million tonnes of greenhouse gas abatement to 2030.

The EEC Program will deliver $50 million of grants to help businesses and community organisations improve energy efficiency practices and technologies and better manage energy consumption to reduce their power bills.

Businesses and community organisations will be able to apply for funding for a range of activities including equipment upgrades, installation and use of energy monitoring systems, and development of energy audits and feasibility studies. Grants of up to $12,500 will be available for community organisations, up to $20,000 for small businesses and up to $25,000 for large energy consuming businesses. Large energy consuming businesses will be required to make a co-contribution of one dollar for every government dollar received.

Heating and cooling consume a significant proportion of energy used in buildings. Businesses and organisations may be able to apply for grants to replace existing split system air conditioning units with new split system air conditioning units that are more energy efficient.

Newer split system air conditioners are more efficient due to significant technological improvements in recent years. The Energy Rating website www.energyrating.gov.au provides calculators for estimating energy use. Applications for the EEC Program will open in October 2019 for community organisations and early 2020 for businesses.

For more information, visit the Energy Efficient Communities Program.

Back to newsletter