In an Australian energy industry first AGL Energy Limited (AGL) is launching Free Power Saturdays for eligible Victorian residential consumers1 on 12 January 2015.

AGL’s Free Power Saturdays gives customers who sign up to the plan 100 percent free electricity on Saturdays for a year. This includes all consumption and supply charges.

General Manager Marketing and Retail Sales, Mark Brownfield said Free Power Saturdays was the first of a number of energy plans AGL would be introducing to take advantage of the capability of digital smart meters to tailor products to customers’ lifestyles and give them greater flexibility and control over their power bills.

“We asked residential energy consumers what they thought about a range of digitally enabled energy plans and Free Power Saturdays was a very popular option, along with a couple of others which we’ll be launching later this year. Consumers are clearly telling us they want more control and choice.

“Offering customers a day of free electricity can help them reduce their energy costs, particularly if they use appliances such as washing machines and dryers on Saturdays. With this plan, customers will be able to run these appliances without any power costs on a Saturday. For families, who tend to be home more on weekends, it can also take the burden out of what could easily be the highest usage day of the week.

“Free Power Saturdays also gives customers more control and flexibility over their electricity bills. Customers can move things around to maximise the benefit they receive,” said Mr Brownfield.

Victorians have nominated Saturday as their favourite day of the week2 and AGL expects Free Power Saturdays will be popular with many customers.

Aside from offering consumers greater choice and control over their energy consumption, Saturday is also the day many Victorians use to catch up on chores.

Independent research commissioned by AGL found that while Saturdays are characteristically associated with socialising, eating out and relaxing, almost a quarter of Victorians said Saturday was the one day where they typically completed most weekly household chores3.

“AGL recognises that people are busy on Saturdays and that some of their day may be spent cleaning the house, putting on multiple loads of washing and cooking for the family. Free Power Saturdays lets people get household chores out of the way and enjoy being home without worrying about how much power they use. We want customers to maximise the benefit of the plan and wherever it’s practical, we’d encourage them to shift any discretionary power usage from other days of the week to a Saturday,” said Mr Brownfield.

AGL Free Power Saturdays is available to residential digital metered customers in Victoria. For more information visit: welovesaturdays.com.au or call: 131 245.

1 Victorian residential customers with a digital meter are eligible for this offer. Solar, business customers and residential customers with a basic meter are not eligible for this offer.
2 36 percent of Victorians chose Saturday as their favourite day of the week, TNS, 2014.
3  22 percent of Victorians complete most household chores on Saturday, TNS, 2014.


About AGL
AGL is one of Australia's leading integrated renewable energy companies and is taking action toward creating a sustainable energy future for our investors, communities and customers. Drawing on over 175 years of experience, AGL operates retail and merchant energy businesses, power generation assets and an upstream gas portfolio. AGL has one of Australia's largest retail energy and dual fuel customer bases. AGL has a diverse power generation portfolio including base, peaking and intermediate generation plants, spread across traditional thermal generation as well as renewable sources including hydro, wind, landfill gas and biomass. AGL is Australia's largest private owner and operator of renewable energy assets and is looking to further expand this position by exploring a suite of low emission and renewable energy generation development opportunities.


About the research
AGL commissioned TNS, Australia’s longest standing market researcher to conduct independent research between 1 December 2014 and 8 December 2014. The survey respondents comprised Victorian residents with total sample  size n=1060, weighted to be representative of the Victorian population (as per ABS stats), and aged 18 to 75 years.

Key research findings:
  • Saturday is the clear winner as Victorians’ favourite day of the week, more so in metro than in regional areas.
  • Saturday is the day of the week when Victorians spend the most money.
  • Victorians’ favourite things to do at home on a Saturday are centred on rest and doing relaxing activities as well as spending time with family and friends. Surprisingly 21 percent prefer to do household chores.
  • Almost all Victorians do some sort of home improvement or housework on Saturday.
  • Almost one third of Victorians spread their household chores evenly throughout the week, but around four in 10 Victorians typically do most chores on the weekend, particularly on Saturday.
  • Most people in their 30s and 40s tend to do household chores on a Saturday.
  • Washing is the most popular household chore for Victorians to do on a Saturday, followed by cooking, gardening and vacuuming.