GUY’S WHITEGOODS PLEDGE

STRUGGLING families would get half-price flat-screen TVs and cheap fridges if they tradein older power-zapping models, under a Coalition promise to slash household bills.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy will today pledge generous discounts available to low-income Victorian households in a bid to save them up to $325 a year on electricity costs.

The $40 million scheme would see prices slashed on 6-star TVs, and savings of up to $550 for energy-efficient fridges.

Mr Guy said the policy would benefit tens of thousands of families doing it tough.

“Only a Liberal Nationals government will cut tax and ease the squeeze on cost of living pressures,” he said.

“This is a win-win policy, it’s going to cut the cost of living and it’s going to cut carbon emissions which is great for the environment.”

The appliance replacement offer will be available to any of Victoria’s 913,000 pensioner, health care or concession-card holders — but only for fridges at least six years old and TVs that are plasmas or older cathode ray tube (CRT) models.

A similar NSW scheme has seen 30,000 households benefit, with the Government saying households making the switch save $50-125 a year on power costs with energy- efficient TVs, and $100-$200 a year by upgrading fridges.

In NSW, a 40-inch highdefinition LED LCD TV is discounted from $499 to $210, and fridges range from $286 for smaller models and $599 for a large 516-litre model.

The scheme will be capped at $40 million, allowing for up to 85,000 households to benefit.

Shadow treasurer Michael O’Brien said Premier Daniel Andrews “has lost control of cost of living pressures” and 1 Summons when phone

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final hour the Coalition scheme would be part of a broader cost of living package.

“An elected Liberal Nationals government will provide free school books for secondary students at government schools, cut water bills by up to $100 a year and cut up to $530 a year on electricity bills for eligible Victorians,” he said.

Cost of living has been a key battleground this year, with both sides promising to reduce pressures on household bills. Labor’s key policy is to install half-price solar panels on 650,000 owner-occupier homes, with subsidies worth up to $2225 each on top of energy bill savings.

Yesterday, Labor also promised free sanitary pads and tampons in state schools, while it has also promised to slash the cost of kindergarten.

The election will be held on November 24, but 325,000 people have already attended early voting centres.

MORE STATE ELECTION REPORTS: Pages 8, 9