The Financial Wellbeing Collective provides free energy coaching to eligible Synergy residential customers who are experiencing financial hardship.
Funded by the State Government, Energy Ahead was announced in December 2020 as part of the Western Australian Climate Policy to support a low‑carbon future.
Energy Ahead is a partnership between Energy Policy WA, state-owned energy retailers Synergy and Horizon Power, and the non-government organisations that provide Energy Ahead services to the community.
The Financial Wellbeing Collective - powered by 12 partner organisations, including Anglicare WA and Uniting WA, which have united to reduce the drivers and impacts of financial hardship in the Western Australian community - provides energy coaching through Energy Ahead in collaboration with Synergy.
Energy Ahead coaching is a free service available to eligible Synergy residential customers who are experiencing financial hardship, and community education workshops are also available to groups who want to learn how to reduce their energy use.
Participants get free personalised advice from an Energy Coach on how to make their home more energy efficient, to take steps towards reducing electricity costs and contribute to household emissions reductions. They also receive helpful free tools like shower timers, low-energy night lights and LED globes which help to reduce energy use and save costs now and in the longer run.
Financial Wellbeing Collective General Manager Helena Jakupovic said energy coaching helps to create behavioural change which can help achieve long-term outcomes for the environment. “Energy coaching empowers participants to contribute to positive environmental change to the best of their ability within the controlled environment of their own home,” Ms Jakupovic said.
“After participating in energy coaching, customers may reap the benefit of reduced energy costs in their next bill which incentivises them to continue their energy efficient behaviours.”
Customers who receive coaching also receive a free energy efficiency item, such as an electric blanket, warm quilt, pedestal fan, or clothes airer, to help minimise electricity costs on high-use appliances like air-conditioners, heaters and tumble dryers.
As at 30 September 2024, the Energy Coaches have switched 1,027 globes to LED globes, which typically use about 75 per cent less energy than halogen light bulbs and last up to 5 to 10 times longer, thereby helping to reduce energy use, replacement costs and the number of light bulbs ending up in landfill.
They have also gifted 123 quilts, 329 pedestal fans (which have a lower cost to run than air-conditioning), 431 clothes airers (which can avoid the over-use of spin dryers that can be expensive to run), and 636 electric throw rugs which can avoid the over-use of heating like air-conditioners and heaters.
A focus on providing approachable and achievable guidance to customers is a simple way to encourage household energy efficiency and support reducing emissions. “Teaching energy literacy in homes has the benefit of supporting energy efficiency behaviours across generations. Children will often engage in the energy audit process and follow the newly learned skills of their parents,” Ms Jakupovic said.
Feedback from a small community in Kalgoorlie reflects how Energy Ahead uses this approach: “We loved the easily accessible and readily digestible information. It was fun and very “real world” content that can be easily applied to everyday life. We loved how easy going and non-formal your approach was,” the customers told the Financial Wellbeing Collective.
