About 90% of electricity available from the Australian NEM is generated using fossil fuels, while this figure is much lower in New Zealand, 30% of electricity is still generated by using non renewable fuels. By using electricity, we all contribute to the growing problem of Greenhouse Gas emission. Practising DSR increases energy efficiency. An increase in energy efficiency is seen as a crucial part of reducing Co2 emissions and minimising dependence on fossil fuels because it is the most rapid and cost-effective tool to reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.  DSR comes from three sources:

• The curtailment of load (i.e., switching off electricity consumption that is non-essential); is readily acknowledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering demand.  
• Load shifting (delaying or bringing forward energy intensive activities to times when more generation is readily available);
• Operating on-site generation (e.g., Standby, Emergency, Co-generation or Distributed Generation) and either supply the site load locally or exporting the energy back into the grid.

While the first of these is readily acknowledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering demand the other DSR source options are less recognizable but remain valuable for greenhouse gas reduction. Reduced green house gas emissions - by some 200 Tonnes per year (equivalent to the total consumption of 300,000 homes - Refer EUAA Report.

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