Green energy as a company perk for remote workers

A startup is helping businesses offer sustainable energy as a perk for those working remotely

Spotted: As the coronavirus pandemic continues, more and more people are realising the benefits of working remotely – no commute, more time with family,  cheaper living locations. But there are also a few downsides, one of which is a higher energy bill from being home during the day. Now, energy company Arcadia is offering the opportunity to reduce energy bills and increase the use of renewable energy at the same time.

Arcadia works by matching residential customers with clean energy suppliers. Customers connect their utility accounts to Arcadia, then the company monitors the market and automatically secures the lowest rates for clean energy. Now, Arcadia is offering businesses the chance to offer Arcadia’s services as a perk, replacing the free juice and coffee with cheaper clean energy.

Companies can partner with Arcadia to subsidise all or part of their employees’ energy bills. Employers who join Arcadia’s programme can also access sustainability reports on their workers’ energy use, allowing the businesses to report lowered carbon emissions for their business under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Companies including SkySpecs and McDonald’s are already offering the perk, and Arcadia is in talks with a wide number of other businesses about the programme.

Arcadia CEO Kiran Bhatraju feels that perks offering improvements in sustainability are the way of the future, explaining that “In the past, companies thought about coffee and kombucha and things like that in the office, but they should be thinking about their employees’ sustainability and footprint. This is really a way for a company to say, ‘Hey, we know you’re spending more money at home to do your work through your power bill, we know your footprint is growing and your emissions are growing.”

Arcadia is not the only company working to support green energy suppliers, but its approach is well-suited to the shift towards home-working. Other recent innovations in making it easier for individuals to use green energy include a green hydrogen project that turns trash into energy and a search engine that uses green energy.

Explore more: Work & Lifestyle Innovations | COVID-19 Innovations