Today the Member for Charlestown Jodie Harrison will call on the NSW Government to renew and expand a program that helps low income households replace older and less energy efficient household appliances.

The cost of living is rising and the NSW Appliance Replacement Offer, which ended in June 2021, would make a difference in helping to cut down electricity bills and make it easier to make ends meet in 2022.

Peak body for housing, Shelter NSW, has advocated the reintroduction of the scheme, which would assist lower income households, including those in social housing, cope with rising energy costs.

It was important for the government to consider schemes that would benefit renters and those in social housing, Ms Harrison said.

“Renters in particular have a limited ability to reduce their energy consumption. They can’t install solar panels, for example,” Ms Harrison said.

“This offer made it possible for renters on low incomes to replace appliances that used a lot of electricity, which are often older fridges, freezers, heaters and other items. This is a win-win, with lower electricity costs on one hand and increased household safety on the other.”

With skyrocketing petrol prices coinciding with increase in housing stress across NSW, reintroducing the NSW Appliance Replacement Offer could be a significant boost for families on a budget.