Home topics news News News Why your energy strategy should start with a leak check not a solar panel Yajush Gupta March 10, 2026 Most businesses can cut 20 to 30% of energy costs before spending anything on new technology. DETA Consulting’s Jonathan Pooch explains where the waste is hiding. What’s happening: Jonathan Pooch, Managing Director of engineering and energy advisory firm DETA Consulting, argues that most businesses are chasing net zero from the wrong end. Why this matters: With energy volatility returning and margins under pressure, small businesses cannot afford to wait for a long-term transition plan to deliver results. Energy bills are climbing, margins are thinning, and many small business owners are wondering whether a solar panel or a sustainability strategy is the answer. Jonathan Pooch, Managing Director of DETA Consulting, an Australia and New Zealand engineering and energy advisory firm, has a more immediate suggestion: start by finding out what you are already wasting. “Most industrial sites can unlock 20 to 30 per cent energy savings before spending anything on new technology,” Pooch says. The same logic applies to businesses of any size. And in the current environment, the stakes are real. The wrong starting point In late 2024, the Australian Energy Regulator reported wholesale electricity prices surged to levels more than 50 times higher than normal at several points. For businesses, spikes like these flow directly into operating costs and make forward planning harder. At the same time, ABS data showed a 0.5 per cent fall