Australian homes have been famously described as “glorified tents” that despite a rapidly deteriorating climate and soaring energy bills, fall far short of the resilient, healthy and energy efficient homes we need them to be.
In this interview, Tina Perinotto sits down with Ralph Horne, associate deputy vice chancellor and researcher at RMIT, and Trivess Moore, associate professor and trustee at Energy Poverty Research Network, also at RMIT to discuss their deep dive work over six years with occupants of more than 160 homes that reveals a lot about why so many of us remain trapped inefficient housing — and how to fix it.
They discuss the potential for change through mandatory energy disclosure at the point of sale or lease for housing, trusted independent data that can empower householders and guide policy and holistic, precinct-scale retrofits to build industry capacity and slash costs.
Housing needs to be far more than a private asset, they say, we need to treat it as long-term, collective infrastructure rather than just a private asset, future-proofing communities against ongoing climate and fossil fuel crises.
