The Shameless Plug with Saul Griffith

Actor and electrification advocate Sarah Aubrey joins The Shameless Plug to share how she ditched gas, embraced solar, and went viral turning her Sydney home fully electric. Hosts Saul Griffith and Fiona Whitelaw dive into Sarah’s journey from making home energy upgrades to internet fame, her battles with trolls, and why electrifying your home can be empowering, hilarious - and downright revolutionary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katherine McConnell, CEO of Brighte, shares her insights on making sustainable energy affordable through point-of-sale financing. She discusses Australia's new battery subsidy and its benefits for households, emphasizing the crucial role of tradespeople in this transition. Katherine also highlights the importance of comparing financing options effectively and shares her own experiences with an off-grid solar setup. The conversation touches on how this shift leads to more mindful energy use while navigating the financial landscape of electrification.

In today's episode, EV advocate Daniel Bleakley joins Saul Griffith and Fiona Whitelaw to talk about, how he’s gone from activist to entrepreneur in the electric trucking space, his series “Coal Miners Driving Teslas,” and why bringing smiles to diesel fitters can shift the culture war.We trace Daniel’s journey from coal country in Central Queensland, then into the nuts and bolts of electrifying Australia’s heaviest emitters. We dig into the economics, the coming megawatt charging standard, bi-directional trucks as rolling batteries, and why electrifying long-haul freight could cut costs, clean the air, and make our supply chains far more resilient. Check out his Youtube channel @CoalMinersDrivingTeslas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entrepreneur-turned-energy-nerd Fred Hopley joins us to demonstrate what an all-electric life really looks like - today. Fred has installed a 15 kW rooftop solar system plus a home battery and two EVs, then developed his own home energy management system (on Home Assistant) to orchestrate it all. The result? Around 141% annual self-generation and a negative power bill by smart-charging, exporting at peak prices, and soaking up cheap daytime surplus.Fred makes a passionate, practical case for tariff reform - especially symmetric network tariffs that pay households the same to export as they’re charged to import - unlocking fairer markets, lower bills, and better use of local wires. You’ll also hear clear takes on Australia’s new battery incentives, fuel-efficiency standards, VPPs, community vs home batteries, the renter split-incentive, and why consumer voices must be at the table as the grid decarbonises. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Shameless Plug, we’re diving into one of the biggest hidden energy stories in Australia: hot water. Around 30% of Australia’s domestic energy capacity is used just for heating water. That’s nearly a third of the energy we consume at home - running showers, washing dishes, and doing laundry.To help us unpack this, we’re joined by Karl Jensen, a leading expert in heat pump hot water systems. Karl is passionate about heat pump hot water systems - yep, passionate - and he is going to explain how we can heat our water smarter, cut bills, and slash emissions - all while enjoying the same comforts at home. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Adams, co-founder and co-CEO of Amber, is revolutionizing energy use in Australia through innovative battery trading. He shares insights on the electricity market and how households can navigate rising bills by leveraging real-time wholesale pricing. Discussing rooftop solar's impact and advocating for consumer-driven energy solutions, Dan emphasizes the importance of automating home energy systems. He also explores vehicle-to-grid technology, outlining its potential and challenges, all while encouraging a future where everyday Australians play a central role in energy transition.

In this episode, we meet Dr Kim Loo, a GP and an overachieving climate advocate who works with several climate organisations including Doctors for the Environment and Asian Australians for Climate Solutions. She has long been an advocate for electrification and uses kitchen diplomacy by running induction wok cooking classes for sceptical home cooks. She’s so persuasive, she even convinced her 84-year-old mum to make the switch. Kim's podcast recommendations include What If We Get It Right?, Outrage and Optimism and Finding Nature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An electric bike was Chris Kerr's gateway to electrification, tired of sitting in Sydney's standstill traffic. Then, during Covid lockdown in 2020, his family spent money from a cancelled overseas holiday on installing solar panels. Soon, he'd electrified his cooking, heating, cooling, vehicles and installed a battery on his six-person home. Chris says household electrification has brought a return on investment, a return on comfort and a return on environment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing The Shameless Plug, a new podcast for making life cleaner, cheaper, and all-electric. Join engineer and climate advocate Dr Saul Griffith and social researcher Dr Fiona Whitelaw as they break down how to electrify your home, car, and community - and speak to some friends along the way. It’s all about real solutions, big ideas, and practical tips to help you plug in to the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.