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You may have heard there's an 'electric election' coming up next year. We've met with a huge range of politicians from right across the spectrum and the ones who pick up what Rewiring is putting down are often those who have already invested in solar, batteries, EVs, heatpumps and induction cooktops and have experienced the benefits first hand. That's why we're kicking off a new series called Political Power, where we talk to some of our decision makers about the decisions they've made in their own lives and how they plan to reduce energy bills for others, reduce emissions and improve our resilience and energy security.
Hipkins invited us to his house in The Hutt recently to check out his set up and talk about the potential for New Zealand customers to play a bigger role in the energy system.
He says he reluctantly gave up his diesel car and went electric, but he wouldn't go back. And while he loved cooking with gas, he's now got an induction cooktop that he loves more.
It can be a mental hurdle to make these shifts, he says, but research suggests that most people who do are very happy with their decision.
The Hipkins house has quite a few humans in it and he got solar and batteries to avoid rising electricity prices. He also saw homes with these technologies fare much better after Cyclone Gabrielle and it made sense to him to consume electricity where it's produced and to do his bit to reduce strain on the grid.
He was able to get a green loan to pay off his 12kW solar and battery system, so he'll attempt to pay it off in five years, but the issue with those loans is that it actually increases energy/finance bills initially and only a small number of people are eligible for them. That's why we need our politicians to support the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, which will offer long-term low-interest loans for electric upgrades and actually help address the cost of living.
Find out more about the scheme in our in-depth explainer 'the case for energy loans'.
Rewiring Aotearoa is a fiercely independent organisation and we've got a list of candidates from all the parties lined up for this series, but if you know of any MPs who are leading by example, let us know and we can try and showcase them, too.
Some go electric for the savings. Some do it for sustainability. Some do it for security. But the important thing is that they do it. Politicians are no different and, whatever their motivations, we hope the ones who have gone electric will be more likely to amp up the ambition next year and pitch some policies that make it easier for New Zealanders to follow their lead.
How the sun led to higher salaries for teachers in the US and why this should be happening here, too; how "the once-rigid link between economic growth and carbon emissions is breaking across the vast majority of the world" as electrification gives more countries a productivity boost (and how that would allow New Zealand to keep embracing our long, languid summer break); solar continues to weather storms and provide 'free resilience'; Dunedin laundry company Preens goes electric and saves over 300 utes worth of emissions; the company that wants you to drink diesel exhaust; and a wonderful rundown of the Kill Bills tour - and the national electrification opportunity - from one of the tour sponsors.
Read moreDownloadAs gas supplies decline and prices rise, electrification is the best bet, but it's hard for big businesses without government support. Kirsty Johnston talks to Rainbow Nurseries about how it made the switch with help from a grant, and others who are unsure they will be able to keep getting gas. As one busines owner said: "We never considered the risk to the business of not actually having natural gas," one participant said. "We always expect that the price could fluctuate… But we never anticipated maybe having no gas coming from the pipeline." There are ways for the Government to help. And there is a huge amount of new renewable electricity coming on stream, so there won't be a shortage of electrons.
Read moreDownloadMarc Daalder reports on Vector's declining gas network and how it is responding to falling customer numbers. As he writes: "Gas in Auckland is formally past its peak in the latest forecasts from Vector, the city’s only gas distribution business, with new connections set to fall to zero in three years ... From 2029, there would be no new residential or commercial connections – with new industrial connections projected to have already ceased this year."
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