The statement, signed by the Climate Council, the Property Council of Australia; community service organisations like the Brotherhood of St Laurence, local government alliances, and climate and energy groups, comes ahead of Victoria's first budget since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organisations are calling for the Victorian government to invest in energy efficiency measures, which will, they say, lower power bills, improve the health of Victorians and generate thousands of direct jobs across the state.

Rob Law, executive officer of the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance, told The Courier Ballarat, with its climatic extremes across the seasons, would benefit from energy initiatives.

"Ballarat has a lot of opportunities to improve energy efficiency in its existing and new housing stock, to not only help households save money but also boost health outcomes and create jobs," Mr Law said.

"There are plenty of poorly insulated leaky homes across Ballarat which are cold in winter and hot in summer. Now is the time for a significant statewide program to help improve our housing, especially for those who can least afford it.

"Investing in energy efficiency could create lots of diverse employment opportunities in Ballarat, from household assessors and tradies to supply chain benefits. For a little investment, the region would significantly benefit from the positive economic, social and environmental outcomes."

The Climate Council's CEO Amanda McKenzie said Victorians are struggling to rebuild from climate-fuelled disasters like the 'Black Summer' bushfires and drought.

"On top of this, in the wake of COVID-19, we've faced record high unemployment," Ms McKenzie said.

"With the budget only weeks away, Victoria has a critical opportunity to make smart investments which offer great bang for buck, lower the cost of bills, protect our health and get people back to work."

"Our economic modelling shows that the Victorian government can create thousands of direct jobs over the next three years by investing in energy efficiency, rapidly getting people back to work while also tackling climate change," she said.

The joint statement calls on the government to invest in six measures, including expanding the Solar Homes program to include energy efficiency upgrades and investing in upgrading public and community housing to make it warmer in winter, cooler in summer, deliver health benefits and save energy.

"The Victorian Government has already demonstrated strong leadership on clean jobs, announcing its plans last week to build the largest battery in the Southern Hemisphere.

We're asking the Government to cement its leadership by investing in energy efficiency," said Ms McKenzie.

The Climate Council's Clean Jobs Plan, released in July, suggested 20,000 direct jobs - 70 per cent in construction and administrative services - could be created in Victoria over the next three years.

The report suggested government investment in renewable initiatives would assist in getting people back into the workforce, whilst also tackling climate change.