The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Newsroom's Marc Daalder talks to Rewiring research lead Josh Ellison about our growing solar uptake and the reasons for regional variations. As he writes: "One in 27 homes now has rooftop solar, with more than 73,000 registered systems in the latest data from the Electricity Authority, which runs to the end of 2025. That represents a 15 percent increase from 2024 and follows declining solar install prices."
Ellison says affluence was one of the key drivers in solar uptake.
“That highlights the gap between how solar should be rolling out and how it is currently rolling out, which is that people who need the solar savings most are the people who don’t have the spare income to spend $20,000 on solar panels up front,” he said.
“Someone spending $20,000 on solar panels up front might save $60,000 over the life of those panels. Generally speaking, with all costs included – including finance – the savings are about $1000 a year for an average home across the country. People who need the $1000 a year of savings the most are lower-income homes, but ultimately it’s harder for them to make the upfront purchase.”
If the energy system optimised for lower household bills for consumers, the market would be incentivising home solar and batteries. Instead, the market is focused on wholesale power prices and profits for the gentailers, he said.
“If that was the optimisation that NZ Inc was going for, our energy companies would be installing solar and batteries en masse across households, but our regulatory system design creates a different incentive to that, which is why that’s not happening. And of course, it is also contributing to how much bills are rising.”
'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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