Refit n' save

REGION - Ararat Greenhouse Action Group (AGAG) will be running two information sessions, today at Lake Bolac and May 12 in Ararat, to help local residents take advantage of the power of the sun.

The information sessions are part of the Refit n' Save project where you can access free advice about a range of sustainable products.

Federal government rebates for solar panels will be reducing at the end of June this year, and the Refit n' Save project officer Aidan Leahy is keen to help the community save through solar.

"We're right at the cut-off date to get solar panels with the full rebate," he said.

"We've also got some great deals on solar hot water systems. Solar is a great option to meet some of your energy needs and the information sessions are there to answer all your questions."

Local residents Jan and Tony Hillier have already made the switch to solar, installing a 1Kw solar system and a gas-boosted solar hot water unit when they were renovating their 1950s' home.

"We've been in this house for fifteen years and although it's not ideal in terms of being energy efficient, we wanted to do what we could to make our footprint smaller. After all, the price of electricity will only go up and we thought we might as well take advantage of the government rebates while they were available," Ms Hillier said.

Aidan Leahy agrees with these sentiments.

"You'll never know if solar is right for you if you don't get informed. We're encouraging people to come along and have a look at what's on offer. Heating water can account for up to a third of your home energy use and solar panels will just sit there and earn their keep," he said.