In a move that’s sparking both admiration and anxiety, tech giant Infosys has sent a request to its vast workforce of remote employees: please share your household electricity bill details. On the surface, it sounds like a simple ask for a noble cause—boosting the company’s environmental credentials. But for many, it raises a critical question: where does corporate responsibility end and personal privacy begin?
This isn’t just about a few kilowatt-hours. It’s a strategic, data-driven play by one of India’s largest IT firms to refine its understanding of its total environmental impact in the new hybrid-work era. Let’s break down exactly what’s happening, why it matters, and what it could mean for you.
Table of Contents
- Why is Infosys Asking for Your Electricity Bill?
- The Bigger Picture: Infosys’ Net-Zero Ambitions
- What Data is Infosys Really Collecting?
- Privacy Concerns and Employee Reactions
- The Future of Corporate Sustainability Reporting
- Conclusion: A Bold Step with Complex Implications
- Sources
Why is Infosys Asking for Your Electricity Bill?
The core reason behind this initiative is deceptively simple: accuracy. For years, companies have calculated their carbon footprint based on office energy use, business travel, and supply chains—known as Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. However, the massive shift to remote work has created a significant blind spot.
When an employee works from home, their computer, monitor, and desk lamp are no longer powered by the company’s (often renewable) grid but by their local utility, which may rely heavily on fossil fuels. To claim true carbon neutrality, a company must account for this “Scope 3.5” or “homeworking” emissions.
By collecting granular data on employee electricity usage, Infosys aims to move beyond rough estimates. The company wants to understand the specific environmental impact of its distributed workforce to design more effective sustainability initiatives and offset its footprint with higher renewable energy output .
The Bigger Picture: Infosys’ Net-Zero Ambitions
This request isn’t coming out of nowhere. Infosys has long been a leader in corporate sustainability. The company has been a carbon-neutral organization for four consecutive years and already sources a significant portion of its power from renewable sources—in fact, a staggering 77% of its power use in India comes from renewables, according to its 2024-25 ESG report .
Their ESG Vision 2030 outlines even more ambitious targets, including achieving zero waste to landfill and further reducing their overall carbon intensity. To meet these goals, they need precise data. As one expert notes, “Measuring carbon emissions produced by remote workers is essential for any business that’s concerned about its sustainability” . This initiative is a direct response to that need, pushing the boundaries of traditional ESG reporting.
What Data is Infosys Really Collecting?
It’s important to clarify that Infosys isn’t just asking for a copy of your monthly bill. Reports indicate the company is seeking details on the specific appliances used during work hours. This includes information on:
- The wattage of lighting used at the workstation
- Usage patterns of fans, air conditioners, and heaters
- Power consumption of laptops, monitors, and other peripherals
- Whether the employee’s home uses any renewable energy sources like solar panels
This level of detail allows Infosys to build a far more accurate model of its distributed energy consumption. It’s a sophisticated approach that goes well beyond a simple total-bill figure, aiming to isolate the energy directly attributable to work activities from general household use.
Privacy Concerns and Employee Reactions
Unsurprisingly, this request has landed with mixed reactions among the Infosys workforce and the broader public. While many employees support the company’s green mission, others are deeply uncomfortable with sharing such personal household data.
The primary concern is one of precedent and scope creep. If a company can ask for your electricity bill today, what’s next? Water usage? Internet history? Employees worry about how this data will be stored, who will have access to it, and whether it could ever be used for purposes beyond its stated sustainability goal, such as performance monitoring or cost-cutting measures.
For its part, Infosys has reportedly framed the request as voluntary, which is a crucial distinction. However, the implicit pressure to comply with a corporate initiative, especially one tied to a universally positive goal like sustainability, can be strong. This situation highlights the complex tension between collective environmental action and individual privacy rights in the modern workplace.
The Future of Corporate Sustainability Reporting
Infosys’ move may be a sign of things to come. As global regulations around ESG reporting tighten—like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)—companies will be forced to provide more transparent and comprehensive data on their environmental impact.
New methodologies are already being developed to measure the carbon footprint of remote work . Tools and calculators are emerging to help businesses quantify this previously hidden aspect of their operations . Infosys is essentially conducting a large-scale, real-world pilot of this new frontier in corporate accountability.
Whether this becomes a standard practice across the industry will depend on how successfully Infosys navigates the privacy challenges and demonstrates the tangible value of this data. If they can show a clear link between this initiative and a measurable reduction in their overall carbon footprint, other corporations may follow suit. You can learn more about the evolving landscape of remote work and its impact on hiring and sustainability in our guide on [INTERNAL_LINK:future-of-work].
Conclusion: A Bold Step with Complex Implications
Infosys’ request for employee electricity bills is a fascinating case study in 21st-century corporate responsibility. It’s a bold, data-centric strategy that demonstrates a genuine commitment to closing the loop on its environmental impact. By attempting to account for the energy used in its employees’ homes, the company is setting a high bar for what true carbon neutrality looks like in a hybrid world.
However, this ambition is inextricably linked to a significant privacy trade-off. The success of this initiative will hinge not just on the quality of the data collected, but on the trust Infosys can build with its employees. Transparent communication about data usage, robust security protocols, and a firm commitment to keeping the program voluntary will be key. For now, the tech world is watching closely to see if this gamble on granular data will pay off for both the planet and the company’s reputation.