After 10 years working in the Melbourne energy industry Leigh Simpson wondered why there is still a low uptake of the rebates that governments offer households to undertake energy upgrades.
“Particularly in Victoria, there’s still more than 2 million gas heaters and hot water systems that are eligible to upgrade that haven’t.”
Simpson spoke to customers at length and identified the reasons why people struggle to embrace an energy upgrade, and why they find it difficult to navigate the rebates and incentives that are now available.
“There is low trust and confidence in the technology and also the delivery mechanisms that are available,” Simpson told the Switchedon podcast.
Many find the process “all too hard,” and others don’t think they can afford an energy upgrade.
Simpson determined that what people actually want boils down to something pretty simple.
“It’s a more comfortable home that costs less to run. They want reliable products installed by qualified trades, and they want it at a fair price.”
Simpson decided he could help householders by building a website, Upgrade IQ, that unravels the complexities surrounding energy efficient upgrades and takes some of the pain out of the process.
“We’ve built tools where customers can jump on and self-assess and calculate the rebates that are available to them,” Simpson says.
Upgrade IQ enables customers to determine what rebates they’re entitled to, the out-of-pocket costs they’ll be up for, and the savings that an upgrade will provide.
“And then importantly, we connect them with installers.”
“Once the customer has understood some of the indicative costs and benefits, we put them in touch with the expert who can understand the particular situation of that customer and recommend products that might be suitable,” Simpson says.
Finding installers who customers can trust is a major hurdle for many people who want to upgrade.
“There’s an assumption that some of these government backed programs only incentivize unreliable products and dodgy installers.”
But Simpson says there are “established product manufacturers that have got numerous product lines that are approved and eligible for rebates, backed by long warranties and dealer networks. and service network.”
It’s these installers that Upgrade IQ has pre-vetted and partnered with.
Upgrade IQ makes sure that the installers they bring onto their platform are taken through some rigorous checks and balances to ensure they have the skills and qualifications, the licenses and, and the backup support for customers.
“So they’re not just selling customers a product, they’re actually designing a solution that’s right for [each householder].”
Launched last December, Upgrade IQ now offers pathways for customers to upgrade their household heating and cooling systems, and their hot water systems. They plan to add induction cooktops, insulation and home batteries to the website in the future.
Upgrade IQ is a fully independent service that is free for householders. They don’t accept endorsements, advertising or promotions, and they don’t recommend one installer over another. They receive a small fee for ‘matching’ a consumer from the installer.
You can hear the full interview with Leigh Simpson on the SwitchedOn podcast.
Anne Delaney is the host of the SwitchedOn podcast and our Electrification Editor, She has had a successful career in journalism (the ABC and SBS), as a documentary film maker, and as an artist and sculptor.
