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Monday, 3 November 2025

Owner and manager of 1 in 20 Café, Dave Terrens, has taken a proactive approach to cutting energy costs and improving the sustainability of his much-loved café in The Basin.

Dave first purchased plug-in power-usage meters (which many local libraries lend out for free) to track exactly how much electricity each appliance was using.

His next move: a major upgrade of his hot-water system, replacing the old electric storage unit with a modern heat-pump system. Thanks to the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program, roughly half the cost was covered, leaving Dave with just about $1,300 out of pocket.

“We use a fair amount of hot water,” Dave says, “so since installing the heat-pump system I estimate we’re saving about $100 a month in energy costs.” He also linked the dishwasher to the pre-heated water supply, adding further savings.

Energy saving didn’t stop there: the café installed a 19-kW solar PV system. While it doesn’t cover all the café’s electricity use, it significantly reduces reliance on the grid and ongoing bills.

The results:

Before upgrades, annual energy costs were about $45,000
With the heat pump, solar system and smarter appliance usage, Dave estimates he is now saving over $20,000 per year - almost a 45% reduction.

Find out how your business can benefit from energy efficient upgrades through the Energy Savers Program.

To learn more, visit Business Energy Savers.

Request a free quote today

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