Social Impact
A reliable and energy-efficient fridge is a basic need that most of us take for granted. Fridges help us to plan and budget for meals and safely store food.
Yet many families on low incomes that can't afford to buy a new fridge to replace their current energy inefficient fridge that is expensive to run.
The Phoenix Fridge Project provides the opportunity for families on low incomes to purchase an energy efficient fridge, save money and help to save the environment.
Case Study
"Julie (not
her real name) lives in the outer eastern suburbs with her family
and elderly mother. Julie has had difficulty paying her energy
bills, which were averaging over $800 per quarter. Despite
establishing payment plans, Julie and her family had still accrued
several thousand dollars of debt.
TRUenergy's Customer Hardship team spent considerable time with
Julie and her family members educating them about energy and the
cost of using particular appliances. One of the main contributors
to her energy bills was her household gas heater, which was broken
and an energy inefficient fridge.
As a solution, TRUenergy organised for Julie to receive a Phoenix Fridge and set up a Centrepay account to help Julie meet her energy payments. Three months later, Julie's energy use has halved in comparison to her previous year's bill and her family are more aware of how their behaviour around the home impacts their energy costs."