SwitchedOn Australia

Australia is spending billions encouraging households to electrify, but are we building an industry capable of delivering the transition? Trent Jones, founder of Melbourne-based All Electric Homes, warns that Australia faces a serious shortage of skilled tradespeople, and the traditional trade business models aren't equipped to deliver complex, whole-home electrification at scale. He explains why fragmented trades, complicated rebates and short-term operators risk undermining installation quality, consumer confidence and the viability of legitimate small businesses. And he argues we need to invest as much effort in transforming the workforce and businesses delivering electrification as we do in stimulating consumer demand. Drawing on his experience with Hume City Council's home energy upgrades program, Trent explores how trusted local partnerships can help households navigate electrification.

Four years ago, a handful of Canberra volunteers set out to prove that entire communities could move from gas and petrol to efficient electric homes and transport. Their campaign has now become Go Electric, a major ARENA-backed pilot helping up to 1,000 households electrify through a coordinated one-stop service. Following in the footsteps of Electrify 2515 in the Illawarra, but operating on a larger scale, the project will test whether finance, trades, technology and customer support can be brought together in a model that can be replicated elsewhere. It will also tackle difficult questions about grid capacity, renters and the use of 200 electric vehicles as batteries for homes and the wider energy system. Electrify Canberra co-founder Sarah Reid explains how community trust and persistent advocacy turned an ambitious volunteer campaign into a real-world demonstration.

Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar and home batteries are booming. But electricity still only accounts for around 21 per cent of the energy we consume. So why are we still burning so much gas, petrol and diesel when renewable electricity is increasingly cheap and abundant? More than 30 organisations have joined forces to launch Electrify Australia, pushing to accelerate electrification across homes, businesses, transport, farms and industry. But even when the economics stack up, grid connection delays, outdated regulation, conflicting government policies and entrenched interests can stand in the way, while renters, apartment dwellers and lower-income households risk being left behind. Energy Efficiency Council policy head Jeremy Sung explains what’s holding Australia back and what needs to change to turn our renewable energy success into an electrified economy.