Case study
KEY METRICS
“Did you hear my alarm go off?”
It’s 12pm.
Mo Hughes, senior software engineer at EnergyFlex, starts walking around the house, turning things on: the dishwasher, the washing machine, the oven, for whatever his partner, Leila, is baking today.
He checks an app on his phone to make sure his Tesla is charging.
Next, he heats up his lunch. “Leftover Panang curry and ginger stir fry from last night,” he says. “It’s so good.”
He turns on the heater. “It’s quite chilly in Queensland today, which is unusual. Normally we’d rug up or throw on a jumper, but I think I’ll use the AC today. I feel guilty using energy when I don’t really need to—even if it’s a good time to use it—but today, I’m giving in to temptation.”
Mo gets two hours of free power between 12pm and 2pm. His alarm goes off every day to remind him to make the most of it.
He admits to knowing “pretty much nothing” about the energy market before joining EnergyFlex, even though he had just completed his PhD on the feasibility of a hybrid electric aircraft powertrain, and despite previously working for a company that designed solar panel systems.
“I didn’t know anything about wholesale pricing, renewables percentages, the energy market in general, or the flow of electricity between states,” he says. “I’m passionate about renewable energy generation. Logically, I understood that there was a lot of solar and wind energy in the grid, but not changing my habits to actually use that energy when it’s there is probably the biggest thing that’s sunk in for me since working at EnergyFlex.”
Mo started using EnergyFlex shortly after joining the company. He was renting a property in Cleveland and first needed a smart meter installed.
“Getting the smart meter was quick and easy, and I didn’t have to pay anything for it. My initial EnergyFlex Rating was 2.8, which isn’t too bad, but I was motivated to get it to 3.0 because EnergyFlex would then reimburse my energy bills as part of its Employee Benefits program.”
They started with the quick wins. They used the dishwasher and washing machine during the day and installed timer switches to control other appliances. They also bought an air fryer and stopped using the oven in the evenings. Leila shifted her baking times to during the day and they quickly fell into the habit of getting things done between 10am and 2pm.
“Our EnergyFlex Rating stabilised at 3.0 for a long time, which was great because EnergyFlex covered our last quarterly energy bill, which was around $270. We put that towards our holiday savings. But the biggest jump happened when we bought our EV.”
Mo’s EnergyFlex Rating spiked when he bought an electric vehicle through EnergyFlex’s novated leasing benefit.
“We charge it during the free electricity period and our rating immediately jumped to 3.5 and that’s been our minimum. Some days it goes up to 3.7. The highest it’s been so far for a single day was 4.2.”
With a minimum EnergyFlex Rating of 3.5, Mo also gets an extra week of paid leave as part of the EnergyFlex Employee Benefits program. “It’s a cool company and a cool cause. I think it’s great that EnergyFlex is walking the walk; it shows integrity.”
“It might sound biased me saying this because EnergyFlex has said it 1,000 times, but the most important thing anyone should know about using energy is the importance of when you use it. That has been a big eye-opener for me.”
“I was previously on an energy plan where I’d pay a small premium to guarantee that I was using 100% green power, but now that I understand the importance of timing and how the energy market works, I can have that same influence by using as much energy during the day and saving money on the premium rate.”
Mo’s story illustrates the knowledge gap many consumers face when it comes to the impact of their energy usage and the transformative power of informed energy choices.
By understanding the importance of timing and leveraging actionable insights, EnergyFlex empowered him and Leila to slash their energy bills (and completely eliminate them through the EnergyFlex Employee Benefit) and significantly reduce their carbon footprint.
Through education, insights, and actionable recommendations, EnergyFlex is not just helping households save money; it’s fostering a movement towards a more sustainable and energy-conscious future.
Acknowledgement of Country
In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the traditional custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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