The home energy shift: What’s behind Aussie’s desire to spend more?

I completely agree.

Before we wrap up, I do have just one question left for each of you.

Eleanor, what gives you optimism when you look at where Australia is heading in terms of home efficiency?

I think one thing that really stands out in this year's report is really the direction of travel.

So we have 80% of respondents already living with at least one energy efficient feature and that's up from last year.

The proportion of those planning future investment has also increased, average intended expenditure has risen.

So that willingness to invest is really there and it's moving in the right direction.

But clearly the next challenge is kind of converting that intention to action.

And I think that's also where the report is really useful because it identifies those frictions, affordability, information and control.

So, if households can better understand those choices available to them, if upfront financial barriers come down and if renters and younger Australians also have greater opportunity to participate, then there's a lot of scope for that momentum to continue and build.

And

Kat, what about for you? I think for me, it's There is so much that comes into play here.

Like it's not just solar panels and a battery, but it's the technology and the tooling behind that to then continue to optimize these assets that people are installing in their homes and seeking reward from.

So I really think about this as there's much more accessibility and there is a lot happening in the ecosystem of home optimization, home electrification.

So I feel very positive because it feels like there is always something new that is making the entire household more efficient.

And that's really important at the moment when people are struggling.

And I think the role that energy retailers are playing in that, I think we're showing up and I think we are going to be very, very useful to take consumers on this journey.

And actually that's a really great role to play and it's really important for Australia.

That's awesome.

I love that.

But you know what? I think my key takeaway from today's conversation, Aussies are increasingly looking at their homes, not just as a place to live, but places that can work smarter, cost less to run and potentially become more valuable over time.

And if the numbers in this report are anything to go by, I think that shift is well underway.