Half of home owners plan eco-upgrades 

The next 12 months is set to bring a big jump in power bills, with NSW households likely to experience the biggest bill hikes of up to 9.7%¹.

Not surprisingly, a recent survey found more than one in two (56%) Australians would like to improve their home’s energy efficiency as a way of cutting costs². 

And it turns out we’re prepared to tip serious money into green improvements. 

On average, households are planning to spend $7,950 making their homes more energy efficient.

However, for more than two in five Aussies, there’s one hurdle standing in the way – and that’s the cost.

How to fund your ‘green’ improvements

Fortunately, there are low-cost ways to fund eco-improvements. 

Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling:

1. Community First’s Green Loans

Our Green Loans are a popular way for homeowners to help the planet and their pockets, with a low rate, unsecured loan for environmentally-friendly improvements around the home.

Borrow from as little as $1,000 with loan terms from 1-10 years. And enjoy the flexibility to pay out your loan early without penalty, or redraw payments in advance.

A Community First Green Loan can be used to fund a variety of eco-friendly home improvements such as: 

         Solar panels, solar hot water systems and solar pool heaters

         Split system or high star-rated, zoned air conditioning systems

         Insulation

         Gas, solar, hydronic or reverse cycle air conditioners with a minimum 4 star rating

         Efficient electric heaters (minimum 5 stars) or solar, hydronic or heat pump systems, and 

         Double glazing.

With a competitive variable loan rate, our Green Loans can make your home more livable while delivering potential savings on utility bills. 

2. A home loan top up

Or, if you have a Community First home loan, you may be able to harness the power of your home equity.

If you’ve owned your place for a while, and you believe its value has climbed, talk to us about topping up your Community First home loan balance. Or, talk to us about refinancing your home loan to us. 

If approved, the extra cash can be used to fund all sorts of eligible environmentally friendly projects.

Lower bills could be just the beginning

Domain’s latest Sustainability in Property report³  confirms that energy efficient home improvements can do a lot more than reduce power bills. 

It reveals that homeowners can enjoy a ‘green premium’ – an uptick in their home’s value, following the addition of energy-saving features.

How much is the green premium? It can be a lot!

According to Domain, energy efficient homes can sell for 14.5% more than less energy efficient properties. That can be a price premium of around $118,000.

For apartments, green features can drive a 12% uptick in value, potentially adding an extra $75,000 to the property’s value. 

See how we can help

Lower bills plus a boost to the value of your place – what’s not to love? 

To learn more about the options we offer for green home improvements, call us on 1300 13 22 77, Mon-Fri 8am-8pm (AEST/AEDT) or 8am-3pm on Saturdays. Or pop in and speak to the friendly team at any of our stores.

 Credit eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, fees and charges apply.

References:

¹https://www.aer.gov.au/news/articles/news-releases/final-determination-2025-26-safety-net-prices-nsw-sa-and-se-qld

²https://rea3.irmau.com/site/pdf/342a935a-364e-44ae-aed1-fcfe45494233/Cost-and-uncertainty-stalling-home-energy-updates-for-Australians.pdf 

³https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/ffx.adcentre.com.au/domain/2025/CRTV-4403/Domain+Insight+-+Sustainability+Report+2025.pdf