The Clean Energy Council (CEC) welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s (DCCEEW) Energy Saving Scheme (ESS) and Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) Statutory Reviews 2025 discussion paper.
The CEC are strongly supportive of the NSW Government’s focus on reduced energy consumption, demand response and demand shifting mechanisms to both improve the reliability and sustainability of the energy system and reduce consumer bills. The greatest opportunities to enhance the energy transition reside in the demand-side of the market, and the CEC commends the important work NSW DCCEEW are doing. By improving our energy performance (including demand response, load shifting and energy efficiency), we can make the energy transition faster, cheaper, smoother and more reliable.
To best provide informed feedback on the scheme reform opportunities outlined in the discussion paper, three key areas for improvement are identified and discussed. These include:
- Ensuring high-quality upgrades are installed in households with accompanying consumer protections.
- Creation of a strong audit program on installer and product compliance.
- Strengthening the design and outcomes of programs with ongoing industry consultation
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