Reducing the Load: Helping Families Reduce their Household Bills, Water Usage

In 2021, Jacobs was engaged by the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) to lead a co-design process to develop the NSW Government Washing Machine Replacement Trial. The trial is part of the NSW Water Efficiency Program and designed to help eligible households replace their inefficient top-loading washing machine with a brand-new front-loader at a heavily discounted price. It is widely known that front-loaders use less water and energy and do a better job of cleaning clothes, but they’re also more expensive, making it difficult for lower income households to afford on a tight budget.

The trial was launched late-April and ends on June 30, 2022. Participants can apply for the trial if they reside in social housing owned and managed by NSW Land and Housing Corporation or the Aboriginal Housing Office located in one of the trial local government areas.

During the trial’s design phase Jacobs facilitated four co-design workshops with DPE and representatives from ten different stakeholder groups. Our work included developing the strategic objectives, eligibility criteria, mapping key stakeholders and when to engage these stakeholders across the customer journey, as well as highlighting program risks and opportunities.

Jacobs is committed to providing solutions that provide positive, lasting impacts for people, communities and the environment. This trial provides assistance to low income, large households across the State of NSW who are vulnerable to water bill stress and financial hardship. If successful, the program will be expanded to benefit more households across the state. It encourages inclusive development to create a fairer society, in which more people can participate fully in social and economic life, creating and sharing prosperity.

We encourage you to visit the DPE site for more details about the trial. To read more about social value and its benefits we encourage you to take a look at our paper Before & Beyond the Build: A blueprint for creating social value at scale through infrastructure investments.