Kiwis create website that pays you to save energy

A screen grab from Celsias,com, a New Zealand website that will help users trade carbon credits.

A New Zealand company has applied to patent Celsias.com, the world's first online community that allows regions, businesses or community groups to be paid for reducing the carbon emissions from their everyday energy use.

Celsias.com is based upon a fast growing global economy that recognises energy savings, or carbon credits, as a form of currency.

Celsias director Nick Gerritsen said with Celsias it was possible to track, create and trade carbon credits on the internet.

"We believe it very much has the potential to follow in the footsteps of eBay, Google and Skype," Mr Gerritsen said.

"Up till now no-one else has provided an end-to-end solution where you can get paid to play your part in solving the climate change crisis," he said.

"Our core goal is to assist our members to create as many carbon credits as possible. Celsias.com will, in effect, pay them to save the world," Mr Gerritsen said.

Celsias.com is expected to go live in early 2007.