and TV several times. Interest in an energy audit escalated as it was also being pushed by the state government and church organisations. In an effort to meet the demand for home energy audits, we joined forces with several other bodies and thereafter called ourselves the Western Region Energy Group. These bodies were Anglicare SA, Lutheran Community Care, the Salvation Army, UnitingCare Wesley Adelaide, UnitingCare Wesley Bowden and UnitingCare Wesley Port Pirie. This widened program included audits and retrofits, a scheme to buy back inefficient fridges and freezers, interestfree loans to purchase energy efficient appliances, and energy saving products. The retrofit kit consisted of two energy efficient light globes, an AAA-rated shower head, and a draught excluder. WACRA initiated a community-led household audit program in 2002 and the SA Government’s Retailer Energy Efficiency Scheme took hold. So, ‘from little things big things grow’. We were approached by the SA Government to ask if they could use the Energy Friends name and of course we agreed. The SA Government still offers a free home energy assessment and energy saving products, now called the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS), advertised in local papers (Weekly Times Messenger 15 August 2018). The song ‘From little things big things grow’ is attributed to Kev Carmody, Paul Kelly and The Messengers, 1991. Power to the people Jim Douglas and Paul Laris
The Energy Friends campaign put us in touch with a large number of social justice and welfare organisations. These links and shared concerns about the privatisation and deregulation of the electricity pricing market led to the formation of the Western Region Energy Action Group (WREAG) in February 2002. WREAG members were very worried about the hardship that vulnerable households were experiencing following energy price increases. The Henley and Grange Residents’ Association (now WACRA) determined that there was a need to raise public awareness and to put the government and retailers on notice. A public forum was held in a packed Henley Town Hall on 22 June 2003, moderated by the late Professor Eleanor Ramsay, to hear from these keynote speakers: • • • • •
Professor Sue Richardson, Director, Institute of Labour Studies, Flinders University Ms Roslyn Williams, Coordinator, Salvation Army Western Region Mr Lou Owens, Commissioner, Essential Services Commission of SA (ESCOSA) Hon Jay Weatherill, Minister for Local Government, Government Enterprise, Urban Development and Planning, and Administrative Services SA Mr Andrew Nance, Conservation Council SA
The meeting was unanimous in calling on retailers and state government to urgently address the hardship experienced by low income, concessional and carer families; to commit to ‘buy back' an environmentally friendly electricity retail market to create true competition; to provide substantial cost reduction incentives to purchase low energy use appliances; and to support an independent advocacy organisation to represent the economic, social and 112
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