The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy
The Hon Josh Wilson MP, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Alison Byrnes MP, Member for Cunningham
A popular community pilot is now expanding to empower more Illawarra households to electrify their homes and cut their power bills.
The Electrify 2515 Community Pilot is helping homes to switch off gas, upgrade appliances to energy-efficient electric products, and install smart energy management devices.
Since launching in late 2024, the pilot has seen more than 100 households in the suburbs of Austinmer, Clifton, Coledale, Scarborough, Thirroul and Wombarra complete upgrades. Those households are contributing to early research outcomes, while hundreds more have works in train.
With the aim of reaching 500 participating households, Electrify 2515 is now using funding previously allocated for home batteries to expand the pilot's footprint into the neighbouring suburb of Bulli.
While home batteries were initially included in the pilot, the Albanese Government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program is now driving a remarkable surge in household storage around Australia.
The pilot expansion means even more households will have access to subsidised heat pump hot water, induction cooktops, and reverse cycle air conditioning, making homes more energy efficient and bringing down bills.
Bill savings demonstrated by the pilot are in line with Rewiring Australia and Treasury modelling:
• The average Australian household using gas for their cooking, hot water and heating could save up to $900 a year by switching their appliances to efficient electric ones.
• Adding rooftop solar increases savings to $2,500, and with rooftop solar and a battery savings are estimated at $3,100 a year.
For example, Billy and Tosca from Thirroul chose to replace all their gas appliances with electric ones and added solar panels and a battery and are now saving an average of $250 a month on their energy bills.
Sharing the same substation as the 2515 suburbs, Bulli's participating households will help demonstrate the impact of electrification on a local electricity network.
Eighteen months in, the pilot is providing invaluable insights into energy use, impact on the electricity grid, and identifying barriers to entry. Results will be used as a blueprint for how home electrification could be best achieved across Australia.
Electrify 2515 is funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and delivered through a partnership between Rewiring Australia, Brighte, and Endeavour Energy, with the pilot set to be completed in September 2027.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen:
"Community-led pilots like this highlight how communities, industry, and government can work together to reduce household bills, cut emissions, and create more comfortable homes.
"We've seen tremendous uptake within the 2515 postcode throughout the pilot so far with households signing up when they see how their neighbours are making the switch to lower bills, cleaner power and reduced pressure on our electricity system.
"Australia is leading the way for clean energy, with more than half our electricity in the last quarter of 2025 coming from renewable resources.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Josh Wilson:
"With more than 100 community-led electrification groups active around Australia, there is strong appetite and local leadership to support a smart clean energy transition.
"The Albanese Government is backing community-led initiatives like the Electrify 2515 pilot to provide a national blueprint to benefit other communities.
"Combined with smart appliances, and policies like the Cheaper Home Batteries Program and Community Solar Banks, electrification is helping households to maximise control of their energy use, slash their energy bills and cut emissions."
Quotes attributable to Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes:
"The Illawarra has proven that we want to be a renewable energy powerhouse, and I am so pleased to be supporting the highly successful Electrify 2515 pilot to expand into Bulli.
"This program is empowering hundreds of local people to bring down their power bills, secure their electricity supply and make a real contribution to a cleaner energy future - something our community has enthusiastically embraced.
"I want to sincerely think the Electrify 2515 team, as well as everyone who has signed up to be part of this program, for their commitment to our energy transition."
