Case study
KEY METRICS
Since joining EnergyFlex as finance and administration coordinator, Aston has developed a new appreciation for energy management—not only as a cost-saving measure but as a rewarding and empowering employee experience.
Aston has always been mindful of energy use, but a few months ago, she discovered the tangible benefits of smart timing—and it changed everything.
Through the EnergyFlex Employee Benefits program, Aston is incentivised to change her energy habits by using more energy during the day and less at night. The impact of these changes is reflected in her EnergyFlex Rating, a personalised measure of how well Aston uses renewable energy as it’s being generated, either by her own solar panels or through renewable sources powering the main electricity grid.
EnergyFlex employees who reach and maintain an EnergyFlex Rating of 3 have their energy bills reimbursed by the company. Those who achieve a rating of 3.5 or higher get an extra week of paid annual leave.
Since reaching a 3.4 EnergyFlex Rating, Aston could turn what was once a dreaded expense into a rewarding bonus.
For her, having EnergyFlex cover her energy bills felt like an unexpected windfall. “It’s like getting a bonus,” she explains. “I had solar, and my bills through summer were already low, but when winter hit and the costs went up, it was fantastic to get that lump sum paid out. It was like receiving a gift—money I didn’t expect to get back.”
The financial relief came at the ideal time, especially as everyday expenses piled up. Aston has used those savings to pay other bills and prepare for the upcoming holiday season.
“It’s allowed me to do stuff that would’ve been a struggle otherwise,” she says. “Now, I don’t have to choose between essentials; I can actually get both for a change.”
Increasing her EnergyFlex Rating involved more than paying attention to her energy use.
“We’ve got two old fridges, a deep freeze, and pretty much every appliance you can think of,” she says. “It was just about making little changes, like unplugging devices at night or deciding whether the dishwasher could wait until the morning when solar kicks in.”
She describes how she’s gone from barely noticing her solar panels to actively using and storing energy when they’re producing power. “The savings are great, but our focus is really on understanding the system and making it work for us,” she says. This shift in mindset turned energy management from a chore into an energising experience.
“EnergyFlex isn’t just handing out incentives; they’re living it,” Aston says. “The whole company is genuinely excited about what they’re doing, and it rubs off on you. A $50 gift card from an employer doesn’t compare to the meaningful impact this has. You earn it, and that makes a huge difference.”
What surprised Aston was how easy these changes were to integrate into her daily routine. “We’re not using less energy, but using it smarter,” she says. The employee benefits program’s impact on her family is also evident. Initially sceptical, her husband started adapting to the new routine, too. “As he noticed its impact, he was all in.”
And it doesn’t stop there. She’s excited about the ripple effect these changes will have on her children, saying, “Getting my kids on board is the next step. They don’t see the bills or graphs yet, but once they do, I hope it’ll become second nature and set them up for the future.”
