Electrified Modular Housing for Low-Income Households: Energy Bill Risks, Opportunities and Consumer Safeguards

Project Summary

Australia’s transition toward all-electric homes and modern methods of construction creates an important opportunity to deliver affordable housing faster while reducing household energy costs and improving thermal comfort. However, poorly considered building design, appliances, energy systems, tariffs and consumer arrangements could unintentionally expose low-income residents to higher bills or new forms of energy hardship.

This project investigates how electrified modular housing can deliver genuinely affordable energy outcomes for low-income households, placing the consumer experience at the centre of housing design and delivery.

The research will examine how factors including building performance, appliance selection, heating and cooling, solar readiness, tariffs, embedded energy arrangements and resident energy controls influence household running costs, comfort and consumer protection.

The project will translate this evidence into practical guidance for housing providers, governments, councils, industry and consumer advocates, helping ensure that the rapid expansion of modular and electrified housing delivers not only faster and more cost-effective homes, but also lower running costs, improved thermal comfort and fairer long-term energy outcomes.

Expected Impact

The project aims to shift the conversation around modular housing from “How quickly and cheaply can we build?” to “What will it cost residents to live well in these homes?”

By identifying energy-bill risks and consumer-protection issues before electrified modular housing is deployed at scale, the project creates an opportunity to embed consumer interests directly into procurement requirements, housing design standards, energy arrangements and policy frameworks.

Information

Funder: Energy Consumers Australia Limited (ECA)
Project Period: October 2026 - April 2027
Project Lead: Associate Professor Ehsan Noroozinejad Farsangi
Co-Investigator: Professor Greg Morrison & Dr Toktam B. Tabrizi
Host Institution: Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University
Contact: ehsan.noroozinejad@westernsydney.edu.au