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Energy Minister backs down, heeds calls from solar consumers to save SRES

24 Oct 2018

As part of his Energy announcements this week, Minister Angus Taylor has finally heeded calls from solar consumers led by Solar Citizens to rule out axing the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme.

 

Energy consumers are tired of being taken for a ride by electricity retailers, which is why Australians are installing solar at record rates so that they can take the power back into their own hands,’ says Solar Citizens National Director Joseph Scales.

 

‘The Small-scale Renewable makes investing in rooftop solar affordable,’ explains Mr Scales.

 

The ACCC gave a misguided recommendation to cut the SRES 9 years early or even immediately.

 

‘The cost of rooftop solar would increase by approximately 30% by axing Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme,’ describes Mr Scales.

 

Today, representatives of Solar Citizens are in Parliament to lock in this announcement with our open letter which collected nearly 10,000 signatures.  Solar Citizens will be meeting with Minister Taylor’s office, and with Labor’s Shadow Minister Mark Butler and Greens’ spokesperson Adam Bandt.

 

Solar Citizens mobilised thousands of solar consumers to call on the Federal Government to rule this out:  

  • Nearly 10,000 signed our open letter to the Energy Minister (jointly with Smart Energy Council);
  • Hundreds of constituents contacted their MP asking them to join our call to rule out axing the SRES; and,
  • numerous people wrote to their local papers and had letters to the editor published which explained the benefit of the SRES.

 

‘This is a huge win for solar consumers around the country – saving the SRES will keep the installation of rooftop solar affordable so that more Australians can enjoy the benefits  of solar and lower their energy bills,’ concludes Mr Scales.

 

The Abbott Government also backed down from cutting the SRES and the RET in 2015 when Solar Citizens delivered petitions with 28,000 signatures to the Government.