More than 1,400 customers of a national energy retailer participated in a 2020 Reduce Your Juice program, delivered by Brisbane Sustainability Agency.

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Since 2015, Reduce Your Juice has helped participants reduce their energy consumption and save money, particularly customers experiencing financial hardship or those impacted by COVID19. So, how did our latest Reduce Your Juice participants go?

Throughout the pandemic, industry experts estimate that residential energy consumption rose between 15 and 20 per cent due to winter heating and more time spent at home. Meanwhile, Reduce Your Juice participants achieved an 8 to 10 per cent energy saving on average compared to other customers of the energy retailer. Critically, the program ran from July through to September 2020, helping reduce power bills and save money during a high-demand period. 

Throughout the program, participants received energy savings tips via email, played mini-games on their mobile phone or tablet, and received Power Hacks. They also took their learning offline and into their homes by joining Energy Quest competitions on Facebook. This gamified approach to behavioural changes helped promote interest, motivate participants and reinforce positive outcomes. Overall, 84 per cent of participants said they would recommend the program to friends and family.

After completing the program, one participant said, “It’s a fun way to help reduce energy usage, therefore saving you money,” while another added, “I have realised I can turn off many appliances. I’ve switched off the TV, DVD player and radio in the spare room, as well as the stereo in the garage, Play Stations in the living room and printer when not in use.”

Overall, the Reduce Your Juice program positively impacted participants attitudes towards energy efficiency across all surveyed parameters. Most notably, a 48 per cent positive shift in attitude about whether energy efficiency would mean living less comfortably.

The 2020 Reduce Your Juice program was the second time the program has run with the energy retailer, with an initial pilot program occurring in 2017 with more than 1,300 participants. During that pilot, households saved an average of $52 per quarter, and again, an overwhelming majority of participants said they would recommend the program to others.