The Andrews Labor government plans to give 60,000 Victorian households $1000 each toward the cost of a solar hot water system if it is re-elected in November.
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The policy, announced on Monday morning, is aimed at home-owners who cannot access the generous $1 billion "solar homes" policy unveiled on Sunday.
Premier Daniel Andrews said many houses were unsuitable for solar roof systems but could benefit from a solar hot water system that might save them up to $400 a year from their bills.
On Monday, Mr Andrews appeared at the Rinnai hot water system factory in Braeside to announce that, as of now, households can replace their old hot water system with a new solar set-up and get $1000 of the cost back through a government rebate.
Houses can take part in the half price solar panels program or the $1000 hot water rebate, but not both.
The same eligibility rules apply to the hot water rebates as the solar panel payments; families must be on annual incomes of less than $180,000 and living in their own homes, valued at less than $3 million.
The government estimates the average Victorian household could save between $160 to $400 a year from their electricity bills by using a solar hot water system.
Mr Andrews said the hot water rebates, estimated to cost about $60 million, would close a gap in the solar homes policy.
“There are some houses, because of the way the roof is designed or because of the way the house is sighted, where solar panels cannot go,” the Premier said.
“We think that this will deal with the vast majority of those homes that would have been eligible under the solar homes policy we announced yesterday but because of engineering issues, overshadowing, the way the roof is designed, the way the roof faces, they won’t be able to install solar panels.”
Labor says its big ticket solar plan, which would see the government pay half the cost of a medium-sized solar array on household roofs and provide interest-free loans for the other half, could help families save up to $900 on their annual bills.
But not everyone is convinced by Labor's figures, with Opposition Leader Matthew Guy suggesting the government's projections for household savings might be a little less sunny.
"I've had solar at home for about two years and anybody who says that having solar at home is going to drop their bills by about $1000 a year, I think they're dreaming," Mr Guy said.
"I'd be interested to see how many Labor ministers out spruiking the package have solar panels.
"They've got to practice what they preach.
"If they haven't got solar panels and they're telling people their bills are going to drop by a thousand bucks, maybe they're making it up."
