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New Primara research suggests Nearly one-third of Australians ,3.5 million households, plan to cut back on air conditioning use this summer due to rising electricity costs, even as above-average temperatures are forecast. Almost 45% of Australians are concerned about cooling costs, with Gen X and Baby Boomers most affected. The affordability crisis is also impacting regions like Western Australia.
New research reveals a looming public health crisis, with nearly one third of Australians (32.4%) planning to cut back on air conditioning use this summer due to the rising cost of electricity.
That's equivalent to 3.5 million households rationing cooling as the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts more than an 80% chance of above-average maximum temperatures across most of Australia in December.
The nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 Australians exposes a dangerous collision between rising electricity costs and essential health needs. Nearly half of all Australians (44.6%) are worried about cooling costs this summer. Of those concerned, two-thirds plan to limit their air conditioning use despite forecasts for extreme heat.
- 44.6% of all Australians are worried about cooling costs (4.8 million households)
- 32.4% of all Australians will cut back on air conditioning use this summer (3.5 million households)
- 39.4% of Gen X will ration cooling, the highest of any generation
- 30.9% of Baby Boomers will limit use, despite being most vulnerable to heat stress
- 35.8% of West Australians plan to reduce air conditioning use, showing the crisis extends beyond cooler states
Australia is about to find out how many people are willing to trade comfort, health and safety to manage their power bills. The energy system asking households to shoulder these costs now needs to prove it can deliver affordability without forcing impossible choices between financial survival and physical wellbeing.
