A home should be somewhere you’re safe, happy, and healthy. But as the weather heats up, many people receiving lower incomes are forced to live in hot boxes that make them sick.

Most homes are not built to withstand the hot Australian summers. And people who are already struggling to pay energy bills can’t afford to run fans or air-conditioners (if they have them) to cool their homes.

People in our community have been hospitalised due to heat stress, forced to go without food or medical care to pay their energy bills, and are living in homes that reach over 45 degrees indoors in the summer.

Governments need to step in to ensure homes are cooler in the summer and cheaper to run so people experiencing financial stress are protected from the worst impacts of heat waves.

Will you add your name to the petition calling on governments to require homes to meet mandatory minimum energy performance standards and provide support for low-income households to invest in energy-saving measures like solar panels, electric appliances, and better insulation?