More homes in WA than ever before have solar panels and many Synergy customers are enjoying the potential electricity cost savings and environmental benefits of solar power.
The benefits of solar as a renewable energy source are widely known - but the cost of investing in solar can be an obstacle for some WA households. This is one of the reasons the Future Communities Pilot was announced by the State Government in July 2020.
What was the Future Communities Pilot?
The Future Communities Pilot was a joint initiative delivered with the Department of Communities (DoC) to install solar panel PV systems and smart meters on selected social housing in Western Australia - so that all Western Australians have access to the potential cost savings and renewable benefits of solar.
Customers who participated in the pilot had a rooftop solar panel PV system and smart meter installed at their DoC property. They also switched from their previous electricity supply agreement to the Future Communities Plan so that they could be supplied electricity by Synergy under the Pilot. The Future Communities Plan gave customers on the pilot the opportunity to access electricity rates that were cheaper than the Standard Home Plan (A1), between 9am and 3pm every day.
Solar power production peaks during the sunniest part of the day, which is generally between 9am and 3pm in WA. The Future Communities Plan was designed to encourage customers who were participating in the pilot to shift their electricity use to the middle of the day where possible, to make the most of the cheaper off-peak rate between 9am and 3pm.
281 solar PV systems were installed on DoC properties during the Pilot. Customers who participated in the Pilot were located as far North as Northampton and Geraldton, as far South as Margaret River and as far East as Kalgoorlie.
Future Communities Plan pilot FAQs
- Did terms and conditions apply to the pilot?
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Yes, they can be viewed here.
- How did the Future Communities pilot support the electricity system?
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WA has the benefit of some great abundant natural resources and sunlight is one of them.
Over the past 10 years, WA has seen enormous growth of solar uptake and, due to this, we have an abundant amount of electricity generated in the middle of the day when the sun is shining.
The pilot gave customers the opportunity to use this excess electricity in the middle of the day and take advantage of the lower electricity rate between 9am and 3pm every day.
- What were the benefits to the customer?
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DoC customers with a Synergy account were invited to participate in the pilot on a voluntary basis and in accordance with the Future Communities Plan terms and conditions.
Customers were informed that they could potentially save on their electricity costs, by taking advantage of electricity rates that were cheaper than the Standard Home Plan (A1) and shifting their electricity use to times when the price was discounted, between 9am and 3pm every day.
Total customer savings exceeded $80k collectively, with an average of $225 a year per customer.*
*These are approximate amounts only, based on the average consumption of residential customers who completed their My Account household profile and data that was available to Synergy. The Average savings is based on Pilot participants’ consumption between the period 25 November 2020 to 31 October 2023. It was calculated by comparing the charges which Pilot participants incurred on the Future Communities Plan and comparing these against the charges they would have incurred on the Standard Home Plan (A1) for the same period to determine the average. Variances in consumption and usage habits will affect individual costs.
- My property was part of the Future Communities Pilot, who can I contact?
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If you participated in the pilot you can contact the Future Communities inbox at futurecommunitiesplan@synergy.net.au or your Department of Communities housing representative.