Victorian pubs and hotels will have the opportunity to get cheaper power from offset renewable sources under a landmark deal organised by the Australian Hotels Association (Victoria) with help from Carlton & United Breweries.
More than 1000 pubs and hotels in Victoria can cut their electricity bills, some by more than $40,000 a year, as a result of the deal with energy retailer Flow Power.
This week, AHA (Vic) will invite Victorian pubs and hotels to participate in the five-year agreement. Those interested can start accessing the cheaper power, which will likely be a mix of solar and wind, from July 1.
AHA (Vic) President David Canny said: “This deal will help Victorian pubs and hotels keep costs down during a time of rising energy prices.
“Victorian hoteliers are committed to reducing their environmental footprint and this deal helps them do that. This deal was made possible with help from our partners Carlton & United Breweries. On behalf of Victoria’s pubs and hotels we’d like to thank CUB.”
CUB CEO Peter Filipovic (pictured above) said: “We’re glad we could introduce our energy supplier to the AHA so they can work together for the benefit of Victorian pubs and hotels and a more sustainable future.
“Earlier this year, we announced that Victoria Bitter will be brewed using 100% offset solar electricity by next year. We are committed to sourcing 100% of the entire business’ purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025 but are confident of achieving that target well before then.
To this end, we’ve signed a 12-year agreement to source offset solar power from a large solar farm outside Mildura and are installing solar panels at our major breweries.
“Bringing the AHA and Flow Power together and helping Victorian pubs become more environmentally friendly while saving money is part of CUB’s ambitious sustainability agenda.”
Lion helps NSW pubs get cheaper electricity
The CUB announcement follows Lion becoming an anchor partner in an aggregated Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the AHA NSW in October to help pubs secure cheaper electricity.
The partnerships will allow hotels in the state to bypass expensive retail energy prices and secure their electricity needs at lower prices.
The deal between Lion, the AHA NSW and ENGIE will establish the world’s first industry-scale aggregated PPA.
Lion’s Managing Director James Brindley (pictured above) said: “Our customers are at the heart of this project, and Lion is focused on helping hotels right across NSW thrive. Like all businesses, pubs are feeling the pinch of rising energy costs.”
