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About
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COUNCIL INITIATIVE OF THE MONTHCoffs Harbour City Council: Energy Smart Homes ProgramBackgroundCoffs Harbour City Council has 9 councillors and 553 staff and a total operating budget of approximately $93.2 million per annum. It serves an area of 1163 km2, which lays approximately halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. It is a predominantly rural district with a population of 62,000 and an economy based largely on agriculture and tourism. The Council covers the major town of Coffs Harbour and several townships in the surrounding area. AimThe aim of the Energy Smart Homes Program was to reduce community based greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging householders to reduce their electricity consumption and switch to Greenpower from Country Energy. The Program also contributed to the implementation of Coffs Harbour City Council’s Greenhouse Gas Action Strategy. ProcessThe Council received $10,000 support to undertake the Program from a New South Wales Department of Energy Utilities and Services (DEUS) grant, as well as $5,000 through local Environmental Levy Funds. Once funding for the Program was secured, Council staff met with Lynette Bourne of DEUS and Peter Halliwell and David Muxlow of Country Energy to design the implementation framework, website and advertisements. Council staff also met with Mike Summerill from the Department of Housing to negotiate the most appropriate approach to attract and interact with low-income households. Once the framework and approach were set, an accredited trainer provided training to six dedicated Council staff members on how to conduct an audit process. Country Energy and Council representatives redesigned the Program website and conducted an advertising campaign in the lead-up to the household audits. Two Council staff members conducted 45 Level-1 audits using the Energy Smart Home Matrix between July and September 2005. Ten of the audits were conducted with low-income households. Participating households received a gift pack including CFL globes, AAA rated showerheads (in exchange for their existing showerhead), an information package and an energy star rating. The households were also given the opportunity to enter a competition to win $1,000 worth of Country Energy Greenpower. Savings and BenefitsThe households participating in the program achieved a total CO2e reduction of 81 tonnes per year and energy savings of 85.9 MWh per year. The Program’s reduced electricity consumption equates to annual savings of $11,175. Water consumption was also reduced through the installation of water-efficient showerheads in the participating households. Key Success FactorsThe partnerships between Council, DEUS, Department of Housing and Country Energy built on the strengths of each organisation to meet the needs and aims of all Program participants. DEUS involvement provided Council with access to invaluable information and educational resources that minimised the need for new materials to be produced. The energy audit training component of the Program ensured Council received a direct benefit in the form of staff capacity building. The free giveaways were a significant draw card for attracting households to the Program, although upon reflection Council indicated a simpler process for the Greenpower competition would have improved its uptake. Council also indicated that, if conducting the Program again, it would focus as much time and money on the re-auditing process as the initial delivery and audit process. Initiative In Practice: The Fox FamilyThe Fox family, pictured here, are one of the participating households in the Energy Smart Homes Program. As participants they have made extensive efforts to improve the energy efficiency of their home. Tony Fox commented, “not only does it make sense to save the planet, but it saves you money as well.” |
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