By Clyde Mooney
High power consumers such as hospitality businesses are being urged to consider their power usage and supplier, ahead of the introduction of the carbon tax on July 1.
Research shows that a high percentage of business owners are unaware of how the introduction of the tax will affect them, with a belief that the tax will be applied only to the top 500 polluters common.
For pubs, the biggest energy users tend to be refrigeration, lighting and air-conditioning (HVAC – Heating, Ventilation and Cooling), which will attract increased cost via higher rates passed on by the heavy-polluting power companies.
Independent energy management company, Energy Action, has launched an online carbon tax calculator that can determine the impact of the new scheme on the bills of Australian businesses.
A spokesperson for Energy Action said that the only way for businesses to avoid paying carbon tax ‘is to emit less carbon’.
"Understanding the cost exposure is the first step in understanding what investment businesses should now be making to reduce carbon footprint and energy expenditure.
“[Our] online calculator lets businesses understand how the scheme will influence them over a three-year period, and what its impact will be on energy.”
Energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective and simple ways for business to reduce power usage and costs; the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has worked with pubs across NSW, achieving energy savings up to 40 per cent.
For further information, see the full feature ‘The Dirt on Carbon Tax’ in the May issue of Australian Hotelier.