The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
We've been talking about energy for ages at Rewiring, but everyone else seems to be talking about it, too, primarily because price rises are proving to so painful for so many homes and businesses. One way to reduce that pain is by offering long-term, low-interest loans for electric upgrades, something we've been working hard on for a while, and that was the subject of a front page story on The Post. In it, questions were raised about the amount of money being spent on consultants (and some of the advice then being ignored) and whether the Government would back the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme.
Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey featured prominently with the quote: "It's just time to stop spending money on consulting to come up with new ideas ... we really need to start taking action."
Read the full story here (paywalled)⚡
Right now, an average home could save about $1,000 a year, including paying interest on a loan. And there are a lot of other 'positive externalities', as the economists say.
We don't need subsidies to make solar economic, but where subsidies will help is if we want to speed things up, like they've done in Australia. Subsidies will encourage people with money or access to finance to go out and buy solar and batteries, but long-term, low-interest finance is more important because it means more New Zealand households, especially lower-income homes, will be able to access those technologies and save money from day one.
Find out more about the RAS and why it makes so much sense here.
'Twas the night before Chris-mas, and all through the house, all the voters were stirring, the pundits showing their nous … the election will soon be over, but the energy crisis won't, so we'll be there to pester whoever is in power about the need to run more of the economy on New Zealand-made energy; can Ethiopia's aggressive push for EVs work and how does New Zealand compare in terms of adoption rates?; a two-way charging trial from Genesis shows promise in Auckland, but there's still a way to go before it's mainstream; small electric vehicles are often overlooked when it comes to electrifying transport, but it's hard to miss this weird French one; a solar-powered cafe (and some electric coffee); and we endorse the political vandalism of Keith of All Trades.
Read moreDownloadPoliticians are being urged to adopt stronger electric vehicle incentives ahead of the election. Climate and energy advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa is arguing that EVs are one of the most effective long-term solutions for rising transport and energy costs. They're promoting an EV Salary Boost proposal, which would allow workers to access EVs through pre-tax salary arrangements – similarly to already existing schemes in the UK and Australia. Policy and Government Relations Spokesperson Ngaio Neumegen told Kerre Woodham that even with the rising cost of power, it's still cheaper to run an EV than a car running on imported fuel.
A proposal that would let New Zealanders lease an electric car using their before-tax pay has not won a commitment from either National or Labour, with the 7 November election days away. Under the EV Salary Boost, put forward by Rewiring Aotearoa and Drive Electric, an employee would lease a new or used EV for three to five years. The payments would come out of their pay before tax, lowering the cost of running the car. The idea is based on Australia’s novated leasing system, though the groups say they are not proposing a direct copy.
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