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Dr Jasper Lee has made it his mission to ensure everyone in his community in South Australia can understand and access the benefits of home electrification. He loves seeing real change happen - the light bulb moments.
Dr Jasper Lee moved from Sydney to Adelaide in 2015, seeking a slower and more deliberate way of living while he studied dentistry. His interest in sustainability was sparked while staying in a holiday rental during the moving process that was equipped with solar panels, various composting bins, and a heat pump. Jasper insisted that the home revealed the endless potential of sustainable living in a way that hadn't felt within reach in his Sydney rental apartment.
“You're very disconnected from all those things in Sydney,” Jasper said.
“In Adelaide, people seem to have a deliberate and purposeful relationship with nature.”
When he and his wife later purchased their first home, Jasper was determined to electrify everything. He wanted solar, heat pumps, air conditioners and an electric cooktop.
“It was the million and one things I wanted to do,” he said with a laugh.
After experiencing a statewide blackout and living through Adelaide's incrementally hottest summers, Jasper became determined to make a difference on a wider scale.
“At that time, I think a lot of parents like myself were obviously very concerned for the kids. So I got involved with Parents for Climate, became a community organiser for the South Australian branch and worked on political advocacy around climate change,” he said.
The group had a strong focus on trying to bring solar batteries to schools and childcare centres, which is how Jasper, in 2022, started meeting like-minded individuals who would eventually become the foundation of Electrify Adelaide.
“It took about a year to actually get up and running. There was quite a lot of red wine drunk around my lounge room as we sort of postured, how do we do this?” he said.
“We were looking at Rewiring Australia as inspiration for action.”
Their mission was clear: cut through the confusion surrounding home electrification and provide practical, community-led education.
“If I’m an expert now and I struggle, how’s a regular person supposed to make sense of it?” Jasper said.
Since establishing Electrify Adelaide in partnership with Rewiring Australia’s Electric Communities Network, Jasper has focused on creating accessible, inclusive forums where residents can share experiences, ask questions, and learn how to electrify their homes efficiently. The group has partnered with local councils and organisations to address practical barriers, from outdated housing infrastructure to the lack of electric vehicle charging stations. Through community surveys, workshops, and policy advocacy, Jasper and the team have highlighted the key challenges for households, renters, and first-time renovators while promoting solutions that make economic and environmental sense.
“What keeps us going is seeing that lightbulb moment in someone at a forum,” Jasper said.
“A few weeks later, they’ve installed a battery or switched to an induction cooktop. It’s seeing real change happen.”
Live in Adelaide, and want to join the electric communities network? Join Jasper and Electrify Adelaide: https://www.electrifyadelaide.com/
Electrifying our homes and cars is the recipe to cut emissions and save money for Australian homes. Let's build an abundant electric future for Australia.
“Electric technologies are scientifically proven to be cheaper and more efficient. A heat pump water heater or reverse cycle A/C uses around a quarter of the energy to heat the same water or air. Gas goons will never tell you this and say it’s about consumer choice. It’s imperative that nobody is fooled by their lies.”
Join this webinar organised by the Nature Conservation Council to hear from experts on how improving energy efficiency helps fight climate change and why a Healthy Homes Plan will support rental homes (which are 1/3 of homes in NSW) to be more affordable and liveable.
South Australian gas customers risk being left with millions of dollars in new connection costs after the Malinauskas Government quietly delayed a national rule taking effect today that would have made new gas connections pay their own way.