This summer 207 households have switched

So far this summer 207 households have switched to CoPower to make fossil fuel corporations feel the heat.  By choosing CoPower, these households have not only reduced their carbon footprint but actively resisted the reckless pursuit of profits by big fossil fuel corporations.  Through switching to CoPower households are building a people-powered cooperative to make our energy system work for people and the planet.

This summer extreme climate events including floods, heatwaves, cyclones, storms, and bushfires have devastated communities and harmed our environment. This week we send solidarity to communities across Victoria impacted by bushfires and extreme storms including prolonged power outages. At the time of writing, we note with concern communities in the west of the state under emergency evacuation orders due to immediate bushfire threat.  (Our member organisation Friends of the Earth is updating ways you can assist those in most need).

The recent extreme weather events in Victoria have also highlighted the failure and risks of energy privatisation.  On the 15 February extreme winds blew over tranmission towers west of Melbourne, tripping the network and forcing 90,000 homes to lose power.  It was later revealed by the Age that the corporate owner of the transmission network, AusNet, found almost one in seven of Victoria’s 13,000 electricity transmission towers are damaged by patchy or extensive rust, with the average transmission tower in Victoria now about 57 years old. Further disturbing claims emerged around the failure of the corporate owners to adequately respond to the findings of the Black Saturday Royal Commission and take action to reduce the risk of the transmission network causing more catastrophic bushfires.

And just last week in the midst of the cost-of-living crisis, the Guardian reported that fossil fuel corporation AGL posted a $576 million in half-year profit with serious claims emerging around price gouging households through their retail electricity business.

Our people-powered cooperative enables households to join together across the country and use their energy bills to power the future we want.  Households have voted to invest in community renewable energy, assist each other to reduce energy use and make homes more comfortable, stand in solidarity with first nations communities and farmers in Timor Leste on the frontline of the climate crisis and support the development of cooperative solutions to the housing crisis among many other exciting campaigns and projects!  Join with them and switch your electricity.