A visit from an EnergyMate coach helped a Glen Eden family save big on their power bills and make much more efficient use of electricity in their home.
EnergyMate is a free service for eligible households led by the Electricity Retailers’ Association and funded by electricity retailers, lines companies, Auckland Council (in Auckland) and the Government.
Leanne lives with her adult son and teenage daughter in a three-bedroom rental home and was referred to the programme by local provider EcoMatters. She had requested assistance with reducing her shower water pressure to save on hot water heating and a low-flow showerhead was installed.
Leanne says the EnergyMate coach visit was great.
“The whole thing took about an hour, but the time just flew by. Rhona (the EnergyMate coach) was very friendly and caring, and we chatted about all sorts of things. It was like talking with an old friend.
“She checked things like water flow and temperature, and we discussed taking shorter showers. She gave me a timer gadget to help with that and some insulating material for the hot water cylinder.
“She had lots of energy saving tips like using LED lightbulbs. She gave me as many of those as I needed and also a squeegee for wiping away window moisture. I also received a free hygrometer that monitors temperature and humidity, so I know when to put the heat pump on to stop the house becoming damp and unhealthy.”
Leanne and the family also make smart energy choices. Their time of use electricity plan provides cheaper power at off-peak times, so she does washing, vacuuming and as much as she can between 11am and 5pm, and then after 9pm.
She says the thing the EnergyMate coach did that helped the most was that they called her electricity company together.
“I was in arrears and struggling to find the money to pay. Rhona and I were able to negotiate with my electricity company. They reduced some of my debt and we worked out a plan for me to pay the rest.
“I was quite shocked that they would do that, but it was lovely and really nice of them. They could see we were using a lot of power off peak, and confirmed we were on the best plan. I wish I had talked with them sooner and encourage anyone having trouble with their bill to do the same.”
Leanne is now a big fan of the EnergyMate programme.
“It's a fantastic initiative, especially in these times when the cost of living is so high – and it was all so easy.”
EnergyMate is currently available in Kaitaia, West Auckland, South Auckland, Rotorua, Whakatāne, Taupō, Hastings/Napier, Wairoa, Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, and Dunedin.
Households at high risk of energy hardship can be referred into the programme by their power company, their local participating financial mentoring service, or participating healthy homes support services. So far it has helped thousands of households across New Zealand.
For more information and great energy saving tips visit www.energymate.nz.