Home Energy Assessments and Energy Savvy Upgrades

The Z-NET Home Energy Assessments and Energy Savvy Upgrades Program supported Hepburn Shire residents to improve building comfort and running costs by tackling energy efficiency, providing energy audits and some funding for efficiency upgrades.

Eligible residents were able to access a free assessment valued at $330 dollars and a subsidy from the State Government of up to $880 dollars.  Led by Transition Creswick, this program is was great opportunity for residents to make their homes more comfortable and affordable to run.

Eligibility and prioritisation criteria for the program were:

• having a residence in the Hepburn Shire.
• priority for households experiencing financial or energy stress (i.e struggling to pay energy bills/other bills).
• a capacity and willingness to co-pay for a part-subsidised upgrade.
• an interest in improving your home or rental property to reduce energy consumption and/or improve comfort.
• priority for low incomes, unemployment, long-term medical conditions or disability or caring for someone in these or similar circumstances.

Assessments were also available as a fee for service.

If you live outside the Hepburn Shire, other resources are available and we encourage you to jump onto the State Governments’ Home Energy Assist webpage.

The Energy Savvy Upgrades component of the program uses a co-contribution model, where residents contribute 50% of the total value of the upgrades and the program contributes the other 50%. I.e where the total upgrades are $1760 – the resident will pay $880 and the government pays the other $880 (the maximum government subsidy). Furthermore, the program has been cleared by the Department to recommence with additional Covid-19 safety measures. These include that all assessors have a mitigations strategy and that they maintain a Contact Register of all participants.