The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Rewiring Aotearoa's policy director Dave Karl talks to Damien Venuto about the expensive energy subscriptions most of us have to pay now and the role of solar, batteries and finance in reducing those massive costs. "Factoring in the cost of the system, Karl estimates that a family would be as much as $37,000 better off at the end of that 30-year period. And the savings would keep coming in the years that followed."
Electricity costs were up a staggering 12.2% in the December quarter, according to the latest figures from Statistics New Zealand.
The striking thing about this is that an energy bill is something we simply have to pay. It isn’t our morning coffee treat, a discretionary item we can easily opt out of buying for a few weeks.
Tinkering around the edges by reducing usage will help to moderate the bill, but it won’t make you immune to the impact of inflation. According to Karl, a better approach is to reduce your dependency on traditional energy providers.
'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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