Energy with a bit of good

Savanna Fire Management, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

We know that energy created from fossil fuels creates greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. And that’s why the world is rapidly changing to one powered by renewables.

EnergyAustralia is playing a big part in this energy transition. In fact, it's enshrined in their purpose, which is to lead and accelerate the clean energy transformation for all. They've also set a goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.

The way forward

To enable its customers to make a difference, EnergyAustralia offers Go Neutral. With Go Neutral, households can cancel out the carbon emissions from their energy use at no extra cost. By opting in to Go Neutral, customers can begin to offset their carbon emissions after six months of their account being established.

In the past year, Go Neutral has grown by 39 per cent, totaling 300,000 customers offsetting their carbon emissions since the program’s launch in 2016. As of 31 December 2020, EnergyAustralia customers have offset 2.8 million tonnes of carbon emissions – the equivalent of taking 870,000 cars off the road for a year.*

How it works

Once cutomers are part of Go Neutral, EnergyAustralia will calculate emissions associated with the customer’s household energy use and purchase corresponding carbon offset units from climate action projects in Australia and around the world.

There are projects in Arnhem Land and the Cape York Peninsula that are working to prevent large bushfires that generate emissions. Another project is stopping greenhouse gases through landfill waste management in Brazil. Often the projects are good not just for the environment, but for the local community as well.

Tips for a greener home

You can reduce your carbon footprint by making small changes at home. These include:

• Taking shorter showers.
• Doing laundry only when you have a nice full load – go even further and use cold water washes.
• Buying appliances that have a higher energy efficiency rating.
• If you must use your heater or air conditioner, setting it to no more than 18-20° C for heating or no less than 26° C for cooling.
• Switching to LED lightbulbs - this will reduce your energy bills as well.

Read more about how to reduce your energy bills using the Powepal energy monitor.

How to get involved

Victorian Seniors Card holders can get an exclusive energy deal when you sign up with EnergyAustralia for your gas and electricity. And for no extra cost, you can join Go Neutral.

Call our VIP hotline on 1800 092 129 or find out more online at energyaustralia.com.au/vic-seniors.

Read about EnergyAustralia’s goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.

*Using a factor of 3.2 t/passenger car/year. Based on 2016 Australian passenger vehicle numbers (Australian Bureau of Statistics Motor Vehicle Census) and 2016 greenhouse gas emissions for cars (National Greenhouse Gas Inventory’s AEGIS database).