Power Changers

The CMD has been instrumental in designing and evaluating a large scale randomised controlled trial called Power Changers, to help households reduce power use.

The team worked with Victorian energy distributor Jemena and the Government of Victoria to look at ways to use smart meter data to incentivise households to cut power use during peak periods.

The aim was to create behavioural change to reduce the cost of running the energy grid as governments transition to a low-carbon grid in the long run.

More than 600 Melbourne households in Alphington, Craigieburn, Eaglemont, Ivanhoe and Ivanhoe East registered in the four-month trial, to reduce their electricity consumption during peak times on very hot days.

The trial, led by the CMD Director of Capability Building, Associate Professor David Byrne, showed average peak electricity consumption on hot days down between 23 and 35 per cent.

The project won Best Customer Innovation at the 2019 Digital Utility Awards and was runner-up in Energy Network Australia’s 2018 Innovation Award.