3 in 4 renters cutting back on heating and cooling to reduce energy bills

ABC NEWS (Australia)

As the energy market regulator downgrades its warnings about the risk of power shortages, the tenant advocacy organisation 'Better Renting' says an increasing number of renters are living in energy poverty.

Transcript

00:00We know that people out there are doing it tough, renters and of course owner occupiers

00:06as well, but for it to become so normalised that people are struggling through winter,

00:11having to choose between paying rent, paying for food, paying their energy and often ending

00:16up living in a very cold home because of that, it is a real cause of concern.

00:21So what's life like then for people who have to make decisions about whether to turn on

00:25the heating or to switch on the air con?

00:28What we've found is people are just living in the present.

00:31They can't think beyond what the next week's going to look like, can I pay rent when it's

00:36next due?

00:37You're just trying to get by in the present day.

00:40People are giving up on medication, just trying to keep food on the table for their children

00:46and can I afford the energy I need to stay warm in my home and unfortunately it's not

00:51possible for many.

00:53So this will affect vulnerable people in particular Joel, older people, those with young kids,

00:57are there places they can go for help in paying energy bills?

01:02There are in many states and territories, different financial counselling services who

01:06might be able to help people, might be able to find some debt relief or help them to get

01:10on a payment plan and retailers are also obligated to help people there as well, but unfortunately

01:14with often rental homes being so energy inefficient, it's just putting water in a leaky bucket

01:20trying to heat them, trying to deal with the energy costs and that is really the root problem

01:23we have here.

01:24And with the rental market so tight, is there a reluctance among renters to put any pressure

01:29on landlords to improve their living conditions?

01:33We heard from so many renters that they were worried that if they spoke up and said can

01:37you repair the air conditioner, it hasn't been serviced in five years or can we deal

01:40with the mould problem, that they would lose their home and ultimately in this rental market

01:45people would rather stay in their home, even if it's difficult to live in, than risk being

01:48made homeless and in that sort of tight market people have nowhere else to go.

01:54What are the improvements that would make a real difference?

01:56Well, we'd love to see measures like ceiling insulation and efficient heating and cooling

02:01be regulated and required in rental homes.

02:04Where we do see that, we found in our survey, people do have a better experience, so people

02:08who said their home had adequate ceiling insulation were much more likely to be more comfortable

02:12in winter and in summer, so it works when you do it, we just need to get going.

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