Focus your energy on going green

The home insulation debacle may have given the sector a bad name, but there’s a growing consumer need to conserve energy.

A recent Newspoll survey found that 58% of Australians are very concerned about their energy bills, with almost all wanting to take steps to reduce unnecessary use of heat, water and light.

Add in concerns about climate change and you have the basis for a business that could hopefully do a better job than some of the government-funded efforts of recent times.

Aside from home insulation providers and businesses that create energy saving appliances, there are the beginnings of a mini-industry around energy conservation.

In the US, there are several ‘energy conservation consultancies’ that provide help and advice to those who want to cut their bills. There are a handful of similar consultancies in Australia, but the market is very much in its infancy.

These consultancies not only provide guidance on the use of air conditioning, heating and water, they even explain how a well-placed tree in your garden can cool your house in summer and how you can change your driving and car maintenance to save you money.

With the relatively high rate of newly built homes in Australia, advice on how to keep energy bills down from the outset is increasingly sought after. Why not gain the knowledge, skills and business acumen to reap the rewards?