I grew up in small gold- and diamond-mining towns in South Africa. My father sometimes took us on weekend hikes, while my mother enjoyed a rare moment of peace. As one of five children from a mixed English-Afrikaans family, these simple adventures ignited a lifelong love of the outdoors.

After a year of teaching high school science, I switched to computer programming and project management. My career choices were always driven by curiosity – taking on roles that excited me. In 1990, I emigrated to Australia, and now, after more than three decades here, I proudly call this beautiful country home.

My ‘Lightning Bolt’ moment

For most of my life, I believed that meaningful climate action was the government's responsibility – supporting renewable energy to replace ageing coal-fired power plants. I thought our household changes were tiny drops in the ocean. That belief shattered in 2022 when I attended the Electrify 2515 forum and heard Dr Saul Griffith speak.

Saul revealed that households alone contribute up to 40% of Australia's domestic emissions, and when you add small businesses, that percentage climbs to 60%. The solution? Replace the millions of everyday machines in our homes – cars, hot water systems, heating, and cooking appliances – with efficient electric versions as they reach the end of their lifespan, and install rooftop solar and batteries.

I was stunned. The science was solid and the logic was simple. Plus, the potential savings were compelling: up to $3000 to $5000 per year for the average household. As a recent retiree, that kind of cost reduction was impossible to ignore. I knew I had to get involved.

From pilot program to regional push

Electrify Illawarra grew from the success of the Electrify 2515 community group supporting the Electrify 2515 pilot. The pilot is offering an incentive to 500 homes in the 2515 postcode to participate in a research trial on switching from gas to electric appliances.  The pilot seeks to answer critical questions like: What are the challenges in retrofitting older homes? Can the local grid handle the increased electricity usage? How will habits change when we can generate much of our own energy on our rooftops? The pilot will help inform what support is needed to help communities across Australia to transition to all-electric households as we reduce the use of fossil fuels.

While the terms of the pilot were being negotiated, we partnered with two local solar installers to offer a discount on rooftop solar across the Illawarra. About a third of the installations under this scheme were for Illawarra residents outside of the 2515 postcode. We also ran two EV Open Days and provided information on hot water systems. The interest was overwhelming.

People liked hearing from neighbours who were making the switch and getting practical advice about trusted installers and financing options. So, in March 2024, we decided to launch Electrify Illawarra to encourage and support our broader community to reap the benefits of electrifying their homes by choosing  efficient electric options each time they replace a car or appliance

Walking the talk: Changes to our home

Before joining Electrify Illawarra, we had already installed solar vacuum tubes to pre-heat hot water, a 6.6kW rooftop solar system, and reverse-cycle air conditioning.

Installing rooftop solar had already dropped our electricity bill by $1600 a year, which covered the cost of the system in a few years.

When the cheaper Chinese EVs arrived in late 2023, we replaced our runaround car with the cheapest new electric vehicle available at that time. We’re now saving about $2200 a year in fuel costs. Charging the EV mostly during the day when the sun is out, it costs very little to run. We occasionally need to top the car up from grid electricity during winter when there’s sometimes not enough sun or when we’ve been out all day. This often only costs the equivalent of one or two cups of coffee!

I’m so impressed that the savings Saul Griffith claimed we could make are real! We’ve already lowered our annual costs by $3800 and there are still further changes we can make when the price is right (e.g. heat-pump hot water, household battery, vehicle-to-grid).

Our vision for all of the Illawarra

The Illawarra is home to 130,000 households and 22,000 businesses. Our dream is to see local Electrify groups in every community, helping residents make smart energy choices and reduce their carbon footprints. We can provide hands-on support for events like EV & Home Energy Open Days and share information and success stories.

Look out for Sustainable House Day on 4th May and book to go on one of the house tours to see what everyday families are doing to transition to all-electric homes. Visit sustainablehouseday.com/2025-featured-homes

Join the movement

We need more volunteers, especially from the southern Illawarra. You can help by:

• Joining a working group: Events, Media, or Advocacy.
• Sponsoring or donating: Help cover essential costs like insurance and event materials.
• Hosting a community event: Invite us to give a talk or help organise an EV or Home Energy Open Day.

Together, we can build a cleaner, more affordable energy future for the Illawarra.

Contact electrify.illawarra@gmail.com

Are you a Kiama resident? Take the survey!

By Electrify Kiama member Alexandra McPaul

In the Kiama LGA, people are already keen to electrify their homes. There are 41% of households in our municipality with rooftop solar, so we are sitting well above the NSW state average of 36%. When it comes to electric vehicles, as of July 2024, we were ahead of the state but at 1.8% there is still lots of opportunity to increase take-up of EVs.

One local resident told me they recently took their Tesla on a 2300km road trip to Phillip Island and back. They said they spent $170 on chargers and they were mainly on the highway section. They never encountered a broken charger or had to queue. The car was amazing and they said the autopilot is a must for long-distance driving.

Through sharing people’s experiences and learnings, we hope people will feel more confident to take that next step. We are running a survey for people living in the Kiama LGA to understand what people’s electrification needs/interests are. Join us as we work together to make positive change.

Scan the QR or click through to take the survey or email electrifykiama@gmail.com