Supporting low income families to put solar on their homes!
GIVING POWER is a crowd-funding campaign led by the Bendigo Sustainability Group, to provide fully-funded and installed solar systems to low income families, in the Bendigo area and across the Loddon Mallee region.
WHY THIS CAMPAIGN?
According to a report by the Australian Council of Social Services, low income households are disproportionately affected by rising energy costs, with more people struggling to make ends meet. In this, the need for both affordable & sustainable energy options has become increasingly urgent.
This project addresses two key & overlapping issues:
Providing solar systems for households that cannot afford them
Transitioning to cleaner energy sources as critical to our environment
WHAT WILL THE FUNDS BE USED FOR?
The funds raised through the campaign will be used as the homeowners contribution towards the purchase and installation of solar systems on low income homes. The homeowners contribution will then unlock the Victorian Government Solar Home Program funding enabling solar to be installed.
The campaign aims to raise $63,000. These funds, paired with both Federal and State Government rebates will enable solar systems to be purchased and installed on approximately 30 homes.
CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Approximately 40,000 homeowners in the Loddon Mallee region are classified based on government criteria as "Low" or "Very Low" Income Households – making up 29% of all households. Out of these households, about 4,000 are currently experiencing mortgage stress, which is equivalent to 3% of all households. The City of Greater Bendigo alone has around 1,350 households in this category.
By supporting this project, we can make a significant difference to the lives of these families. The more people who contribute and the more solar systems we install, the more families we can assist. The stronger our message is to the government the better: encouraging them to provide additional funding, expanded clean energy programs and most importantly to hear the powerful message ‘we care about each other and our environment.’
YOUR DONATION AMOUNTS AND THE IMPACT
YOUR DONATION CAN BE TAX DEDUCTABLE
All donations are administered via the Bendigo Sustainability Group’s Sustain Bendigo Fund. This fund is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity (ITEC) with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. If you would like to receive a full tax receipt please email hello@bsg.org.au
Donate via direct debit
If you would like to make a donation to the BSG via direct debit, you can do so via:
Account Name: Sustain Bendigo Fund
BSB: 633 000
Account Number: 135 526 184
MEET THE HOMEOWNERS
Learn about the homeowners behind the giving power program – read some of their stories here.
