how the Cool Change – Energy Smart Suburbs trial works

step 1: confirm your eligibility to participate

Contact ENERGEX’s award-winning customer service team to find out if you are eligible to participate in the trial.

We encourage all owner occupiers with air conditioning units in the trial area to apply – even those who applied last year but were not accepted for the trial. Eligibility for the first phase of the Cool Change trial was heavily restricted for risk management purposes. However, for the Cool Change – Energy Smart Suburbs trial, ENERGEX wants to understand how the technology works in a wider “real world” context, so encourages all eligible households to apply. We also encourage owner occupiers with swimming pools to contact us to see if they are eligible.

ENERGEX reserves the right to restrict participation in the trial to households which meet technical or other criteria.

In most cases, you will be advised of your eligibility to participate over the phone and sent further details.

Our customer service team will ask for you for your preferred time and date for the installation work to take place, and pass this information on to the ENERGEX contractor who will be performing the installation work.

step 2: installation

The contractor will call you to confirm the time and date for the installation work to be undertaken on your nominated appliances. In most cases, the installation will be undertaken in one visit, although pool installations will require a separate visit in Spring 2009 for the installation work to be performed. The contractor will also deliver and install the CFL lights, as required.

step 3: return the application form

Following confirmation of your eligibility to participate, eligible households will be sent a kit containing an Application Form, which must be signed and given to ENERGEX’s nominated contractor who undertakes the installation work at your home. Don’t worry if you misplace the form – our contractor will have spare copies.

This Application Form forms the basis of ENERGEX’s guarantee to cover any damage from the devices installed in your appliances and you won’t be able to participate in the trial unless this form is signed and returned.

step 4: payment of cash and incentives

Upon supply of the signed Application Form to ENERGEX’s contractor, the contractor will provide you with your choice of a $100 gift voucher from either Coles/Myer or Bunnings when the installation work is undertaken.

The summer cash rebate, which will be calculated by ENERGEX on the number of appliances you nominate to participate in the trial, will be mailed by cheque to participating households by ENERGEX in April-May 2009. ENERGEX will continue to mail cash rebates for homes which continue to participate in the trial for the next three years – to 2011.

step 5: the trial

ENERGEX will commence cycling of air conditioning on the few days experiencing peak demand over summer 2008/09. This peak demand will generally occur on weekday evenings between 5pm and 9pm, although trial cycling may also occur at other times.

Should you feel any discomfort or wish to report any difficulties, please contact our customer service team on 1800 774 887. You may withdraw from the trial – simply advise ENERGEX in writing and the installed devices will be removed at a time convenient to you, free of charge.

ENERGEX will survey participating households for their feedback on the impact of the devices on summer comfort. The impact of summer peak demand cycling on network loads will be analysed and results mailed to participating homes, along with details of future trial activities planned.