The $10,000, as part of the Origin Energy Local Savers campaign, was presented to three home owners, a Tamworth business and a local community organisation to help them become more energy efficient. 

Tamworth Fodder Farms was presented with $3500 to implement more energy-efficient farming practices.

One of the farm’s four owners, Ian Coxhead, said he was delighted to have been presented with the grant, which, after an energy audit, would be used to implement several initiatives on the property.

“We are always looking to save power while we work and this will go a long way to helping us,” Mr Coxhead said. 

Among the efficiencies the Coxheads will look to introduce are varying-speed electric pumps. 

Origin Energy’s Amy Stockfeld said she had been impressed Mr Coxhead, as well as his wife, Liz, brother Bruce and his wife, Wendy, had indicated they planned to share the energy-efficient programs they had implemented with students from the University of New England who had come to work on the farm. 

Alison Treloar, Alexandra Rasche and Meryvn Zell were each presented with $1000 and an energy audit of their homes. 

Miss Rasche, who has just bought her first home with her partner, Evan Brownsmith, said she was very excited to receive the grant.

“We bought an older home and only moved in two weeks ago,” she said. 

“The timing for this couldn’t be better, because we are in a position where we want to take responsibility for our energy consumption and look at ways we can modernise what’s there, in terms of heating and cooling, but also ensure we are being responsible for our energy consumption.”

Billabong Clubhouse was awarded the $3500 Tamworth community organisation grant. 

Clubhouse support worker Kate Mackley said she was very excited to accept the grant on behalf of the facility’s staff and clients.

“We hope to use the audit and the money to purchase more energy-efficient appliances, like a fridge for the clubhouse kitchen,” she said. 

Ms Stockfeld and Tamworth Business Chamber small business advisor Janette Wray presented the awards in the three respective categories. 

Ms Stockfeld said the $10,000 presented yesterday was part of $30,000 Origin had awarded to successful Local Savers applicants over the past 18 months. 

“We are delighted to be able to help home owners, businesses and community and sporting groups to learn how to be energy smart and to make energy-efficient decisions,” she said. 

The Origin Local Savers program was developed with the aim of encouraging local residents, community and sporting groups and businesses to embrace energy-saving activities and will be rolled out in other Australian states over the coming months.

The Tamworth campaign was supported by The Northern Daily Leader.