AGL is helping Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia cut its power bills by donating solar panels for three Ronald McDonald Houses.

Ronald McDonald House provides a ‘home away from home’ for families of seriously ill and injured children being treated at nearby hospitals.

AGL has completed the installation of a 30.8 kilowatt solar energy system at Ronald McDonald House Newcastle in NSW and a 10.56 kW system at the Monash House in Melbourne and will install a 30.8 kW system at the Herston house in Brisbane over the next month.

AGL’s General Manager Commercial and Industrial Customers Ryan Warburton said the installations were expected to save the charity almost $85,000 on the up-front cost and up to 25 percent per year in energy costs across the three homes, reducing energy bills by more than $17,000 in the first year.

“As a major energy retailer across Australia AGL is proud to support the communities in which we operate, including organisations like Ronald McDonald House Charities that perform such an important role,” Mr Warburton said.

“These solar installations not only help this organisation to save money but also to reduce its carbon footprint, with these installations estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 95 tonnes per annum.

“The clean energy generated by these solar systems each year is equivalent to taking 29 cars off the road and is enough to power 18 average homes.

“Just like our recent decision to offer customers a certified carbon neutral option on all plans, these solar installations help our customers decarbonise and support the energy market transition.”

RMHC Australia National Corporate Partnership Manager Benita Gevorkian said the solar installations would make a big difference because the Houses use energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“It’s a really big deal for us because this is the first time in our 40 year history that we have received a donation of this kind,” Ms Gevorkian said.

“Because RMHC Australia is a charity, the individual houses rely on support from the entire community and businesses like AGL to cover their operating expenses.

”Last year we supported more than 60,000 families in our 18 Houses, 19 Family Rooms, National Learning Programs and five Family Retreats across Australia.

“It costs us $160 to support a family for one night through our programs so any cost savings allow us to help even more families with seriously ill or injured children across the country.”