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We've been wanting to get Transport Minister Chris Bishop on our Political Power series for a while now and Mike Casey had a chance to chat with him about his electric life (and his potential anointment as the Archbishop of Electrification) in Queenstown recently.

Yes, and it's called the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme: As researcher Kimberley O'Sullivan writes: "Rather than being viewed as a luxury policy, supporting low-income households to install solar could make for a practical investment that eases energy hardship and strengthens energy resilience. The Winter Energy Payment will still be needed for many households in the years ahead. But, as global instability increasingly feeds into local energy costs, there is a case for policies that reduce reliance on annual bill support and bring household electricity costs down."

Government-backed bank loans for businesses hoping to transition from gas to electricity have been announced as part of the Budget and Rewiring Aotearoa believes it’s a positive move that will help more of them get past the upfront cost barrier of electrification. Now it's time to match that with a loan scheme for households.