Online Webinars
No matter where you live in Queensland, Bright Sparks is now available for everyone!
Free to attend, these new Bright Sparks webinars are accessible to people with disability who are unable to attend a workshop in-person. Online webinars give people of all abilities a chance to develop their energy saving skills and knowledge.
Unlike bright sparks workshops, that focus on a range of general energy saving topics, each online webinar has a clear focus with specific learning outcomes. Designed and delivered by people with disability, these smaller bright sparks webinars will allow our energy champions to take a deeper dive into each energy topic. The webinars offer people with disability a chance to learn more about a specific topic they are interested in. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join as many webinars as they want!
Hear from the professionals!
Ergon Energy are excited to make guest appearances throughout the webinars. Representatives from Ergon Energy offer people who attend insider advice from people who work in the industry everyday! Dates of webinars with guest appearances to be announced soon...
There will be 5 Bright Sparks online webinars over the next few months.
These webinars include:
Webinar 1: Understanding your energy rights – the basics
- Learn how electricity gets to your home
- Develop your knowledge of the energy retailer's competitive market
- Learn your energy consumer rights
- Understand who to contact if you need help.
When: Thursday 4 September, 3:30pm – 5pm
Webinar 2: Reading your electricity bill
- Learn how to read and understand your electricity bill
- The details of your electricity contract and what is involved in breaking it.
When: Thursday 18 September, 3:30pm – 5pm
Webinar 3: Developing Good Energy Habits
- Finding ways to reduce your electricity
- How reducing electricity can help lower your electricity bills
- Understanding the appliances that use the most electricity at home.
When: Thursday 2 October, 3:30pm - 5pm
To register: https://events.humanitix.com/bright-sparks-webinar-3
Webinar 4: Understanding the Energy Market
- What energy concessions and rebates you’re eligible for
- How to talk to people you trust- Neighbours, friends, family etc. about electricity related questions
- How to understand the energy market better
- How to share your experiences more clearly.
When: Thursday 16 October, 3:30pm – 5pm
To register: https://events.humanitix.com/bright-sparks-webinar-4
Webinar 5: How to Switch Electricity Offers and Providers
- You will learn what steps to take if you’re not satisfied with your current provider.
When: Thursday 30 October, 3:30pm – 5pm
To register: https://events.humanitix.com/bright-sparks-webinar-5
For more information, please contact QDN at 1300 363 783 or email qdn@qdn.org.au.
This project is operated through the Enable Grants Program and funded by the Department of Energy and Public Works in Queensland Government.
Resources
Download our Bright Sparks Handbook 2025
Support
For more energy saving support, please see the contact details below:
- The Energy and Water Ombudsman if you have issues with your electricity retailer at 1800 662 837 visit: https://www.ewoq.com.au/home
- Office of Fair Trading for information about your consumer rights at 13QGOV (13 74 68) visit: https://www.qld.gov.au/law/fair-trading
- Tenants Queensland for free tenancy advice and support at 1300 744 263 visit: https://tenantsqld.org.au/
Energy Champions
We asked our QDN Energy Champions for their thoughts on Bright Sparks and their top tips for saving energy.
Janine Aitken
“I wanted to be involved with the bright Sparks project as someone who relies on air-conditioning to temperature regulate, I understand firsthand how important it is to save money without sacrificing health or quality of life. ”
Amy Cooper
"I’m passionate about educating and advocating for people with disabilities and empowering them to advocate and be empowered themselves. I’m also very passionate about saving the planet as we’re in a climate crisis."
Advice I would give about being an energy saver:
- Always remember to turn off what we call “vampire devices”. If you have your toaster or coffee machine plugged in, my advice is to unplug them when not in use because this can save a lot of power in the long run.
- In regard to being an empowered customer, I would suggest looking at as many different providers as you can. If you live in an area with multiple providers, like Southeast Queensland, check every so often to see if you can get a better deal.
Abigail Makim
“I wanted to get involved in the Bright Sparks project because I believe strongly in the twin powers of community and participation - good for one, good for all! My one piece of advice is to learn how to make the most out of the cooling breezes of summer and warming sunrays of winter for bill-busting cosiness in your home.”
Sarina Patti
“I wanted to be involved in Bright Sparks to be part of the solution…helping to provide better options and giving power to the customers, enabling their dollar to go further. Also, offering easy to understand concepts and reducing costs to those who are marginally affected and disadvantaged.”
Nadia Brady
“I got involved in Bright Sparks because I want to find energy saving ideas that will help me as a person with disability. I try to be an energy saver, but it can be challenging when I don’t know where to start and advice doesn’t fit with my disability. My biggest piece of advice for saving energy is to start to get curious about what’s going on with your power usage and your power bill. I’ve learned a lot by chatting about energy usage with family, friends and especially other people with disability. This information has helped me make easy changes in my life that add up to some big energy savings.”
