This Ferntree Gully local has been making his home more sustainable since 1990. Now, he wants Knox Council to help other residents follow his lead.

Ferntree Gully homeowner Hugh Venables has slashed his household energy costs to zero through more than 35 years of upgrades.

With solar systems, batteries, and water heating just the start of his home transformation, Venables’ set-up is an example of the end goal many in Knox would be hoping to achieve. 

And while Knox Council’s $32.5 million climate action plan outlines a target for the council’s operations to be Net Zero by 2030, the way the council assists residents in also reducing their emissions is front-of-mind for many. 

✍️ What’s the plan? Knox Council’s Climate Response Plan 2021-2031 outlines two targets: council operations reaching Net Zero by 2030, followed by the wider Knox community by 2040.

• Goals include expanding the electric vehicle charging network and developing community education programs.

Knox Council mayor Paige Kennett said the community had made progress, with about a third of homes now using solar panels.

• 🗣️ “Since 2019, there has been a reduction of 12.6 percent in emissions,” Kennett told the Eastern Melburnian. “Support we offer all residents and businesses includes educational programs and initiatives that encourage the uptake of solar panels and electric vehicles.”

🗓️ A long journey: Venables has lived in his Ferntree Gully home for more than 40 years. He has also been a member of local community advocacy group Eastern Climate Action Melbourne for more than 20 years.

• Since installing solar hot water in 1990, he has gradually upgraded the house into an all-electric, renewable-powered property, including a 10-kilowatt solar system, two five-kilowatt batteries, a heat pump water heater, ceiling insulation and draught proofing.

• 🗣️ “Homeowners can very easily make their homes sustainable,” Venables said. “It’s something they can do when they’re really powerless to do much else.”

🎓 Council assistance: Venables told the Eastern Melburnian education was a key factor in making homeowners aware of their ability to contribute to the region’s Net Zero goals – and the council had an important responsibility to deliver it. While “excellent” on paper, the proactive effort from council to deliver sustainable upgrades will need to continue and improve.  

• 🗣️ “Education is the key”, said Venables. “People have to understand climate change is a big problem and that we need to act on it.”

0️⃣ What is “Net Zero”? Net Zero does not mean eliminating all emissions, but creating a balance by removing emissions from the atmosphere or offsetting them through other measures.

💰 What’s the cost? Venables said renewable upgrades were becoming cheaper, but fully electrifying a home without government support remained expensive.

• 🗣️ “You can't really afford to do the whole thing all in one hit,” he said. “But as you progress through it, your energy costs become less and offset what you’ve spent.”

🤝 A helping hand: But government support is available. 

• Under the State Government’s Victorian Energy Upgrades program, homeowners and renters can access a range of discounts on energy-efficient appliances, including up to $1,610 on a reverse-cycle air conditioner and up to $630 on a heat pump hot water system.

• Via the state’s Solar Homes program, eligible households can receive a rebate of up to $1,400 towards the cost of installing solar panel systems.

• The Federal Government is delivering discounts of around 30 percent on the cost of installing a range of small-scale battery systems thanks to the Cheaper Home Batteries program.

⏭️ What’s next? The Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action is a collaboration of eight councils in Melbourne's east – including Boroondara, Knox, Maroondah, Monash and Whitehorse – advocating for more government support for regional climate action.

• Executive officer Sharon MacDonnell said Victorian councils lacked dedicated state or federal funding to achieve local Net Zero targets.

• 🗣️ “Victorian councils are facing escalating climate adaptation challenges without the funding and support required to respond effectively,” MacDonnell said.

Asks outlined in the EAGA’s most recent advocacy priorities included mandatory efficiency standards for commercial and residential buildings and driving private sector investment in renewable energy projects.