Goal: Operational Excellence is the operating strategy adopted by AGL to enable us to deliver better, more responsive service to our customers.
Strategy: Help customers make better choices for their home and environment.
We have a range of green products available, allowing customers to choose their contribution to greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Renewable electricity options for our residential customers
AGL has three accredited GreenPower products available to residential customers. For a renewable electricity product to gain endorsement from the GreenPower program it must be generated from a new renewable energy facilities that was built since January 1997. AGL’s green electricity products enable customers to choose the proportion of accredited GreenPower they wish to pay for: 10%, 20% or 100%. We then supply the electricity grid with energy generated from GreenPower approved renewable sources, such as solar, wind, hydro and biomass (organic waste and plant material). The products are:
- AGL Green Energy™ - Customers who purchase AGL Green Energy have 100% of their energy consumption matched with energy sent into the national grid from Government-accredited renewable sources.
- AGL Green Living™ - Customers that purchase AGL Green Living pay a small premium each week to have 20% of their energy consumption matched with energy sent into the national grid from Government-accredited renewable sources.
- AGL Green Spirit - Customers that purchase AGL Green Spirit pay a small premium each week to have 10% of their energy consumption matched with energy sent into the national grid from Government-accredited renewable sources.
All of these products are GreenPower accredited. The GreenPower accreditation means the government has verified that the percentage of GreenPower renewable energy sold is supporting the growth of the renewable energy industry.
Green options for our commercial and industrial customers
AGL offers both AGL Green Energy™ and an additional product, AGL Green Balance™ for our major industrial and commercial customers. AGL Green Balance™ was the first electricity product certified by the Department of Climate Change under the Greenhouse Friendly™16 initiative and is flexible, affordable and can be zero-rated for Greenhouse Challenge Plus inventories. Customers who purchase AGL Green Balance™ have their emissions from electricity consumption ‘offset’ through landfill gas flaring activities financed by AGL.
In early 2008, AGL launched its Green Event service offering for business customers. This enables event facilities and companies to purchase equivalent hours of 100% GreenPower from AGL to cover the quantity of energy used to power their event. AGL worked directly with GreenPower to establish a robust methodology to determine the amount of GreenPower required for each event. Customers include the Historic Houses Trust of Australia, Federation Square Melbourne and IBM. Since its inception to the end of 2007/08, AGL has sold more than 6,500 kWh of GreenPower as Green Events.
Green product sales
After a heightened focus on the selling of green products, AGL has achieved an increase in over 30% of residential sales of GreenPower accredited products, to reach a total of approximately 36,00017 customers as at June 2008. As of 30 June 2008, there were over 729,000 residential GreenPower customers in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia18.
Business take up of GreenPower remains steady, with AGL Green Energy commercial customer numbers19 totalling over 8,500 at the end of June 2008.
Total AGL Green Balance™ sales in 2007/08 were 19,159 MWh of electricity which represents over 19% of total electricity usage for the customers who purchase AGL Green Balance.
Residential energy efficiency and greenhouse advice
During 2007/08 we launched a carbon calculator to help customers calculate their greenhouse emissions and take steps to reduce these greenhouse emissions. Furthermore, AGL Energy Shops and AGL Assist continue to promote efficient appliances and offer advice and help for people to find energy efficient solutions for their homes. Customers are also able to view the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their energy consumption as a result of information provided on their individual bill.
Energy efficiency diagnostic tool for business
During 2007/08, AGL developed the AGL Energy Challenger (in partnership with Energetics), an on-line energy efficiency tool that is available to all AGL business customers. The tool comprises a self-diagnostic tool to evaluate the effectiveness of existing energy management practices, and provides businesses with an energy efficiency rating and benchmark, a prioritised action plan, and an indication of potential energy savings that can be made through adopting energy efficiency measures.
Carbon Management Services for industrial and commercial customers
AGL has developed expanded service offerings for our large business customers and is launching Carbon Management Services in early 2008/09. AGL Carbon Management Services will help our customers to: identify and manage their carbon liability; reduce their carbon footprint through suitable, competitively-priced abatement; identify and maximise emerging opportunities; gain clarity and insight into State and Federal policy and communicate carbon management and sustainability activity.
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