David Washbrook lives with his wife and three young daughters on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, near Manly. Their home is a hive of activity with frequent visitors and a fully electrified lifestyle—everything from cooking to driving runs on clean energy.
Driven by a desire to shrink their carbon footprint, David and his family set out on a full electrification journey over the past two years. The result? A home powered by 14kW of solar, two Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries (27kWh total), two EVs, and heat pump hot water, eliminating gas entirely from their home.
“We’ve gone from 15 tonnes of annual emissions to negative five. No direct emissions….The financial benefits far exceeded our expectations.”
Shifting to when it matters
Before switching, David bounced between major energy retailers like Powershop and Red Energy. Despite having solar and batteries, he was still receiving bills—thanks in part to inefficient export timing.
Once he switched to Amber, everything changed. David’s setup now exports stored energy in the evening, when the grid is most reliant on coal and gas and when energy is most valuable.
“We’re supporting the grid when it needs it, displacing fossil fuels—and being rewarded handsomely for doing so.”
This change has significantly increased both their environmental impact and financial return.
“We made the exact same investment—solar, batteries, EVs—but after switching to Amber, we went from paying a bill of $300 a quarter to a $500–$600 credit per quarter.”
Big results, minimal effort
Over their first full year with Amber, David’s household didn’t just break even, they earned:
“$2,146 in credit. That’s after powering everything: EVs, hot water, heating, cooling, cooking, for five people in a busy home.”
Their best day? A massive $428 earned in just 24 hours during a high-demand event when David’s battery exported power to the grid at peak prices.
Easy and automated with SmartShift
David appreciates that Amber’s SmartShift system is now “set and forget”. He checks the app once a day, occasionally uses manual controls, and only actively monitors prices on a handful of days per year.
“If you’re busy and don’t want the cognitive baggage of managing the system, SmartShift is smart enough that you don’t have to.”
His wife Emily agrees:
“We don’t have to think about it all the time. We still use power when we need it, and we feel good about what we’re doing for the environment.”
EV charging with Amber
David uses an EVNEX charger with his Tesla Model Y. The smart integration allows the car to charge when grid power is both clean and cheap.
“We’ve driven 30,000km for just $800, including supercharging. Most of that’s free solar; when we do pull from the grid, it’s often at close to $0.”
Payback and future-proofing
David paid full price for his system—before current battery rebates—and even then, Amber has dramatically improved the payback timeline.
“With Amber, I think a 3–5 year payback is realistic. With rebates, even 2 years is possible. It’s a financial no-brainer.”
And he’s already thinking ahead to vehicle-to-grid tech, which could boost returns even further.
David’s advice
“100% join Amber. Just be prepared to adjust your usage a handful of evenings per year—it’s worth it.”
“The financial return mostly comes from less than 10 days a year. The other 355 days, you’re probably breaking even or a little ahead. But those 10 days? That’s where the magic happens.”
In David’s words
Three words for Amber: “Transparent. Tech-savvy. More sustainable.”
