Bank Australia is a proud partner of Sustainable House Day. Here are three ways the customer-owned, B Corp bank is helping Australians create more sustainable homes.
Continuing our long-running collaboration, Bank Australia is partnering with Sustainable House Day again this year to promote a value both organisations passionately share: creating greener, more sustainable, and climate-friendly homes across the country.
At Bank Australia, there’s a commitment to act on climate and protect nature on behalf of customers. As a customer-owned B Corp bank, they prioritise their customers, balance profit and purpose, and operate in a way that benefits people, communities, and the planet. Their commitment to sustainability, including a net zero by 2035 target, has contributed to earning them recognition, including Finder’s Green Bank of the Year for the fourth time in 2024.
“We aim to have a positive impact on people and the planet,” says Georgia Windrum, Bank Australia’s Climate Action Strategy Manager. . “Our customers are our shareholders, and they’ve told us that they care about ambitious action on climate, nature and biodiversity. Over 90% of the bank’s emissions come from the homes we finance, so helping our customers electrify and improve the energy efficiency of their homes is a big priority for us.”
Here are three ways Bank Australia is helping Australians shift to cleaner, greener, low-emissions homes.
- Bank Australia’s Clean Energy Home Loan
In Australia, residential buildings account for about a quarter of overall electricity use and 10% of total carbon emissions. That’s one of the reasons why Bank Australia created the award-winning Clean Energy Home Loan, which can reward customers who buy or build a new all-electric, highly energy efficient home, offering a reduced variable home loan rate for 5 years or fixed rate for 3 years.
“We’re proud that our Clean Energy Home Loan has so far helped more than 650 Australian households ” says Georgia. In late 2024, Bank Australia updated the criteria for the loan: all eligible homes must now have all-electric fixed appliances, further reinforcing their commitment to moving away from fossil fuels.
While energy-efficient upgrades can help lower electricity bills over time, they often require upfront financial investment. That’s where the Eco Pause can be helpful – a feature that allows customers to take a three-month break from their mortgage repayments (or halve them for six months) to help free up the funds needed for their eco-upgrades.
“We want to help make sustainable home upgrades more accessible and financially feasible for our customers,” says Georgia.
- Home electrification tools and programs
Bank Australia knows that switching to an all-electric home isn’t just better for the environment – it can also benefit your health and your hip pocket. But the task can seem daunting and time consuming. That is why they launched the Electrify Your Home pilot program, which provided customers with guidance on how to remove gas from their homes and transition to 100% electric living.
The successes and learnings from the pilot led to a broader program, where eligible Bank Australia customers have ongoing access to the BOOM! Power Electrify Your Home tool. This user-friendly platform allows homeowners to:
✅ Develop a customised electrification plan in under 10 minutes
✅ Connect with trusted suppliers to carry out upgrades
“We know getting homes off gas is critical for climate action,” says Georgia. “This program demonstrates the important role banks can play in making sustainable upgrades more achievable.”
- Sharing sustainable home stories, tips and advice
One of the key ingredients to accelerating the transition to more sustainable homes is knowledge sharing, especially showcasing inspiring real-life examples. It’s the entire ethos behind Sustainable House Day, where homeowners open their doors and invite a community of like-minded people into their sanctuaries, sharing their journeys towards energy-efficient, low-carbon living.
Bank Australia also understands the power of storytelling to help accelerate the shift towards sustainable housing. “If you can see it, you can imagine being it,” says Georgia. “We want to showcase the amazing things our customers are doing to green their homes, to help inspire more of our customers and the broader community.”
Check out some of the stories of real Bank Australia customers who are taking steps – big and small – towards creating the sustainable homes of their dreams.
Ashley and Julia’s off-grid, solar passive house outside of Bathurst
Shaun’s sustainable and budget-friendly apartment transformation in Melbourne
Meg and Pat’s new build home electrification in Geelong
For more real-life stories of customers embracing sustainable living, follow Bank Australia on Instagram and Facebook.
If you’re looking to finance your green home, find out more about the Clean Energy Home Loan.