According to a YouGov poll published on Tuesday, the vast majority of renters in New South Wales (NSW) desire minimum energy-efficiency standards and easier access to solar power. The poll further revealed that 45 percent of voters in the election battleground of western Sydney are renters. When asked if they trusted the coalition or Labor to handle housing issues, half of the polled renters in marginal western Sydney seats answered “neither” or “don’t know”. It is also noted that more than 80 percent of renters have faced higher energy bills in the last six months and increased housing costs.
Seven in eight renters want minimum standards of energy efficiency to heat and cool their homes, while a similar share wants the government to make it easier for people living in rental properties and public housing to access solar power. Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Monday he would have more to say on rental rights before the March 25 election. Joel Dignam, from the advocacy group Better Renting, said solar-powered and energy-efficient homes are cheaper to keep cool in summer, insulating homeowners from rising energy bills. He added that for renters in substandard homes, higher power costs mean giving up cooling altogether or facing possible energy debt.
The poll has a clear message for major parties: renters are tired of being ignored and are crying out for action to ensure decent, healthy homes. The election is expected to be won and lost along a ring of marginal seats in western Sydney, stretching from Winston Hills in the north to East Hills in the south.