We can all do our bit to help reduce our impact on the environment, and the good news is that many of the steps we can take have the potential to put savings back in our hip pocket. That’s why we’ve been powering ahead with both new and existing initiatives to make it easier for members to make greener choices.
The savings of driving a greener car
When it comes to going green to help the planet – and save money, it can be hard to go past the cars we drive. The Australian Climate Council 1 says cars are a major source of greenhouse gas pollution in Australian cities. In fact, transport is Australia’s third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Put differently, Australian cars emit roughly the same emissions each year as Queensland’s entire coal and gas fired electricity supply. This makes it worth thinking about making your next car a hybrid or electric vehicle.
According to the US Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions, and they typically have a smaller carbon footprint than petrol powered cars, even when allowing for the electricity used for charging. 2
Powering new initiatives
That’s why we’ve been powering a new initiative to make buying electric and hybrid vehicles more affordable for members. We’ll soon be offering car finance at a lower rate for people choosing to buy a brand new hybrid or electric car, so you can save on interest and petrol while doing your bit for the environment.
Be the first to know when this is available – keep a watch on our latest news and articles for more updates.
Simple steps to save more than money
Adding solar panels to your home’s roof for example, can reduce power bills by around $236 each quarter according to Canstar Blue. 3 It’s a saving that can quickly add up over time. Already, more than 1 in 4 houses and many non-residential buildings in Australia have installed small-scale rooftop solar. In 2021 all this solar power reduced Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by over 17.7 million tonnes. 4
Community First supports the value of greener choices like solar power, with our Green Loan that gives home owners affordable funding choices to make eco-friendly changes to their home and lifestyle.
For other ways to make your home greener, check out our tips here.