Energy bills jumped sharply after the $300 federal rebate ended in December 2025. This guide cuts through the confusion — explaining what you’re actually paying, which providers lead in which states, and the free government tools that do the comparison work for you.
Eight questions come up again and again when Australians try to find a better energy deal. The short answers are here — the full explanations are in the sections below.
1 Why is my electricity bill so much higher than last year? The federal government’s $300 Energy Bill Relief Fund — which had been cutting $75 from every quarterly bill — expired on 31 December 2025. Bills jumped for most households from January 2026 as a direct result. ▼
2 Which electricity provider is cheapest in Australia? There is no single cheapest provider nationally. The best price depends on your postcode, your distribution network, and your usage pattern. Use energymadeeasy.gov.au (or Victorian Energy Compare if you’re in VIC) for a free, government-run comparison personalised to your address. ▼
3 What is a “standing offer” and why does it matter? A standing offer is the default plan you land on if you’ve never actively compared or switched. The AER estimates households on standing offers overpay by $300–$600 per year compared with the best available market offers in their area. ▼
4 What’s the difference between AGL, Origin, EnergyAustralia and the smaller providers? The “Big Three” serve over 11 million households between them and offer the widest product range — but they consistently underperform smaller providers on customer satisfaction. Smaller retailers often price more aggressively to win customers away from the major players. ▼
5 Should I bundle electricity and gas with the same provider? Not automatically. Bundling can simplify billing, but two separate providers might still be cheaper. Compare electricity and gas plans independently first, then check if a bundled deal beats the separate totals. ▼
6 What are “conditional discounts” and can I actually get them? Conditional discounts are percentage savings that only apply if you do specific things — pay on time, pay by direct debit, go paperless. Miss one condition and you lose the discount for that billing period. Always check the base rate, not the discounted rate. ▼
7 Am I eligible for energy concessions or rebates? Possibly — and many eligible households never claim them. Concession card holders, pension recipients, and people with medical conditions requiring additional energy use may qualify for $110–$372+ per year in rebates depending on their state. These don’t transfer automatically when you switch providers. ▼
8 Will switching providers cut off my power? No. Switching electricity or gas retailers does not interrupt supply. The physical wires and pipes don’t change — only the billing company does. The process takes a few weeks and is handled entirely between the old and new retailer. ▼
Understanding the structure behind your bill makes every comparison decision simpler. There are three separate layers — and only one of them you can change.
The poles, wires, and gas pipes that physically deliver energy to your home are owned and operated by a distributor — companies like Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Jemena, United Energy, or Evoenergy. You are assigned a distributor based on where you live. This is not something you can switch. The distributor’s charges form part of your energy bill regardless of which retailer you’re with, which is why supply rates vary so much by suburb — it reflects the underlying network infrastructure costs in your area.
Energy is bought and sold in a wholesale market before it reaches retailers. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) manages the National Electricity Market (NEM), which covers NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS, and ACT. Western Australia runs a separate market. Wholesale prices fluctuate with weather, demand peaks, gas availability, and the amount of solar and wind generation on the grid. These fluctuations eventually flow through to retail prices — usually with a lag of several months — which is why your retailer’s rates aren’t the same as a neighbour’s plan from two years ago.
Retailers buy energy from the wholesale market, pay the distributor’s network charges, and on-sell electricity and gas to households and businesses. They set their own usage rates and supply charges, create plan structures, run discount schemes, and compete for your business. The difference between a good retailer deal and a bad one at the same address, for the same usage, can be $300–$600 per year. This is the layer that comparison shopping changes.
The Default Market Offer (DMO) is the regulated maximum price that retailers can charge households on standing offers in NSW, SE Queensland, and SA. Victoria has an equivalent called the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), set by the Essential Services Commission (ESC). Both are set annually and serve two purposes: they cap what standing-offer customers pay, and they provide a reference price — a benchmark that all advertised market offers must display their pricing against. A plan “20% below the reference price” is 20% below the DMO or VDO for your network zone. Effective 1 July 2026, DMO 8 cut prices for NSW and SE Qld residential customers by 3.4%–7.2% and introduced the new Solar Sharer Offer — a plan giving smart-meter households three hours of free electricity per day during peak solar generation (11am–2pm in NSW and SEQ, 12pm–3pm in SA).
No single provider wins in every state or for every usage profile. These are the national players, what they’re genuinely good at, and who they suit best.
Red Energy is wholly owned by Snowy Hydro, itself owned by the Australian federal government — a background that gives it a genuine public-service orientation unusual in the commercial energy market. It operates all customer service from Melbourne and consistently scores at or near the top of every independent customer satisfaction survey. Canstar Blue named Red Energy the best-rated electricity provider nationally in 2026, and it won the state award for both NSW and QLD. Red Energy also took the national Dual Fuel (electricity + gas) provider award. Its plans tend to be competitively priced rather than the absolute cheapest in every postcode, but for customers who have been burned by offshore call centres and slow dispute resolution at larger retailers, the trade-off is often worth it. Available in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, and ACT.
Alinta Energy is headquartered in Sydney and operates across eastern Australia and Western Australia (where it retains its original gas business). It won Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers award for electricity in Victoria in 2026 and was rated among the most competitively priced providers in multiple states on national comparison databases. Its discount rewards program — which gives customers savings on third-party purchases alongside their energy plan — is a genuine loyalty differentiator rather than a superficial marketing add-on. For Victoria specifically, Alinta Energy consistently appears among the cheapest plans on Victorian Energy Compare, which is the most reliable way to verify whether it’s genuinely cheapest at your address. Solar plans and bundled gas are available in supported states.
Origin is Australia’s largest energy retailer with approximately 4.7 million customer accounts. Its strength lies in product range: it offers electricity, gas, solar plans, battery storage integration, and the Everyday Rewards earn program — where customers earn Woolworths points on every dollar of energy spend, with bonus points for new sign-ups. Its solar feed-in tariff rates are among the most competitive available through a major retailer, which is meaningful for the growing number of households with rooftop panels. The Solar Sharer Offer, launched 1 July 2026 by the AER, is available through retailers including Origin — it gives smart-meter households free electricity for three hours per day during peak solar output. Where Origin underperforms is in customer satisfaction ratings versus smaller rivals — it doesn’t win state awards, but its product depth is unmatched among national retailers.
AGL has operated in Australia since 1837 and is now most differentiated by its investment in green energy infrastructure. It offers GreenPower-accredited plans (where your electricity usage is matched by verified renewable generation certificates), carbon-neutral plans, and is actively transitioning away from coal generation. New customers in 2026 receive a $150 sign-up bill credit if they stay at the same address for 90 days. Where AGL gets criticism is in customer service scores — it does not win satisfaction awards at any state level — and its pricing is rarely the cheapest option in competitive postcodes. For environmentally motivated households who want a named, major retailer to back up their green credentials, AGL’s investment in renewable infrastructure is credible. Available nationally.
Lumo Energy is owned by French utilities giant ENGIE and operates primarily in Victoria and South Australia. Despite — or perhaps because of — its more focused geographic footprint compared with the Big Three, it has built a strong satisfaction track record. Canstar Blue named Lumo the Most Satisfied Customers winner for electricity in SA in 2026 and for Dual Fuel (gas + electricity) nationally. Lumo’s plan structures often include unique product tie-ins — discounted movie tickets and motoring club partnerships — that provide genuine incidental value for regular users of those services. For SA households dealing with the highest average electricity costs in Australia, having a provider rated #1 for satisfaction in your state is a meaningful differentiator beyond just the rate.
OVO Energy entered the Australian market with a digital-first, renewable-focused proposition and quickly built a strong reputation among solar-equipped households. Canstar Blue’s 2026 Most Satisfied Customers award for solar electricity nationally went to OVO, based on customer ratings for value, service, and feed-in tariff satisfaction. For a household that has recently installed rooftop panels and wants the maximise the financial return on solar exports, OVO’s feed-in tariff rates and solar plan structures are worth comparing directly alongside Origin. As a newer entrant, OVO has a smaller footprint than the major players but has built its reputation quickly on the basis of solar transparency and digital account tools. Check plan availability at your specific postcode before comparing.
Electricity and gas costs vary significantly across Australia. Here’s the snapshot for each state — who leads on satisfaction, what the typical bill looks like, and what the key local consideration is.
Average annual bill: ~$1,450. Satisfaction leader: Red Energy (Canstar 2026). Reference benchmark: AER Default Market Offer (DMO 8) — cut by 3.4%–7.2% from 1 July 2026 depending on your network zone (Ausgrid, Endeavour, or Essential Energy). NSW has three major distribution networks, and prices differ between them — this is why your postcode matters more than the provider name. The Solar Sharer Offer (3 hours free power 11am–2pm) is available to smart-meter holders. Emergency assistance: EAPA vouchers available through community organisations for households in crisis.
Average annual bill: ~$1,380. Satisfaction leader: Alinta Energy (Canstar 2026). Reference benchmark: Victorian Default Offer (VDO), set by the Essential Services Commission (ESC) — updated each July. Compare using the Victorian Government’s own tool: victorianenergy compare.vic.gov.au. Victoria has a competitive market with strong pricing pressure from a large number of active retailers. Gas bills average approximately $920/year given VIC’s heavy reliance on gas for home heating — many households are now evaluating electric heat pump alternatives as electricity rates stabilise.
Average annual bill: ~$1,420. Satisfaction leader: Red Energy (Canstar 2026). Note for SE Qld only: The competitive electricity market covers South East Queensland (Energex network). Regional Queensland (Ergon Energy) operates under regulated retail tariffs set by the state government — a different system entirely. DMO 8 cut SE Qld prices by up to 10.1% from July 2026 — one of the largest reductions nationally. The Electricity Rebate of approximately $372/year is available to eligible concession card holders in QLD.
Average annual bill: ~$1,580 — the highest in Australia. Satisfaction leader: Lumo Energy (Canstar 2026). SA’s electricity is expensive partly because its grid was among the first to transition heavily toward renewable energy, creating occasional stability costs. DMO 8 increased SA flat-rate residential prices slightly (approximately $33/year) while time-of-use customers saw reductions. SA also has the Solar Sharer Offer. Concession holders should confirm they’re claiming the SA-specific electricity and gas concession entitlements — these are significant given the state’s higher base costs.
Average annual bill: ~$1,490. WA does not participate in the National Electricity Market. The electricity market is dominated by Synergy (state-owned), with tariffs set by the state government. This is a regulated retail market, not a competitive one in the NEM sense. Kleenheat and Alinta Energy are the main gas providers. For WA households, the comparison question is mainly between Synergy tariff types — time-of-use versus flat rate — rather than switching retailers. The WA government’s $400 Household Electricity Credit was paid to eligible WA households in 2024–25; check energy.wa.gov.au for current support programs.
Average annual bill: ~$1,340. Tasmania runs a separate electricity system through Hydro Tasmania (generation), TasNetworks (distribution), and Aurora Energy (retail). The competitive market opened gradually but remains limited in scope compared with mainland states. The Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator (OTTER) sets regulated prices. Use the Tasmanian Government’s resources to compare available plans before switching.
Average annual bill: ~$1,310 — the lowest in Australia. The ACT uses the Evoenergy distribution network. Retail competition exists and is covered by the AER’s Energy Made Easy comparison tool. The ACT Government runs its own Home Energy Support program and has ambitious electrification targets — including subsidies for switching from gas heating to heat pumps. The ACT’s lower average bill partly reflects its mild climate reducing air-conditioning demand, and a relatively affluent population with newer, more energy-efficient housing stock.
Beyond choosing a provider, choosing the right plan structure can save — or cost — hundreds of dollars per year depending on when and how you use energy.
A flat-rate plan charges the same cents-per-kWh usage rate regardless of whether you run the dishwasher at noon or midnight. It’s the easiest plan to budget for because your bill is directly proportional to total usage, not usage timing. Flat-rate plans suit the majority of households, particularly older Australians who are home during the day and use energy relatively consistently. There’s no strategy required, no need to think about shifting loads to off-peak windows, and no surprise bill spikes from accidentally running appliances during peak hours.
Time-of-use plans split the day into peak (expensive — typically 3pm–9pm on weekdays), shoulder (medium), and off-peak (cheap — usually overnight and weekends). If your household can shift discretionary energy use — running the dishwasher after 9pm, scheduling the washing machine for a weekend morning — a TOU plan can cut your bill significantly. Smart meters are required (most new meter installations are smart meters). The risk is the opposite: households that can’t avoid peak usage — families with peak dinner-time routines, people on home dialysis, those who can’t adjust their schedule — can end up paying more on TOU than on a flat rate for the same total usage. Before switching to TOU, check your actual usage pattern across a few recent bills.
New from 1 July 2026, the Solar Sharer Offer (SSO) is a plan type mandated by the AER that gives households three hours of completely free electricity per day during the peak solar generation window — 11am–2pm in NSW and SE Qld, 12pm–3pm in SA. It has the same annual estimated cost as the standard DMO time-of-use tariff for an average-usage customer, but the free midday window allows those who can shift usage — running appliances, charging devices, heating water — to save meaningfully. You do not need solar panels to benefit — the free power comes from grid-level solar surplus, not your own roof. This plan is only available to smart-meter holders in the three DMO regions.
A fixed-rate plan locks your usage rate for a set contract period — usually 12 or 24 months — protecting you from rate rises during that window. The downside is an early exit fee (typically $50–$150) if you switch before the contract ends, and the possibility that market rates fall below your locked rate during your contract. Variable-rate plans have no exit fee and can adjust with market conditions — but offer no protection if rates rise. In a market where the AER’s DMO 8 just cut reference prices, variable plans look more attractive right now because you can shop freely and benefit immediately from lower rates. Fixed plans suit those who want absolute bill predictability and are happy to forgo comparison shopping for a year or two in exchange for stability.
A quick reference across the six major providers on the criteria that matter most for a household decision. Remember: actual rates vary by postcode — use this as a starting point, then verify on Energy Made Easy or Victorian Energy Compare.
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| Provider | States Available | Electricity | Gas | Solar Plans | Best-Rated In | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Energy | NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, ACT | Yes | Yes | Yes | National, NSW, QLD | Customer satisfaction, Aus call centres |
| Alinta Energy | NSW, VIC, SEQ, SA, WA (gas) | Yes | Yes | Yes | VIC | Competitive pricing, rewards program |
| Origin Energy | Nationwide | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Solar, battery, Everyday Rewards, broadest range |
| AGL | Nationwide | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Green energy plans, widest national footprint |
| Lumo Energy | VIC, SA | Yes | Yes | Select | SA, Dual Fuel national | SA satisfaction leader, unique perks |
| OVO Energy | Select postcodes | Yes | No | Yes | Solar national | Solar satisfaction, digital-first experience |
| EnergyAustralia | NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, ACT | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | Flat-rate no-frills plans, wide state coverage |
| GloBird Energy | VIC, NSW, SA | Yes | VIC only | Select | — | Often among cheapest plans on comparison sites |
Coverage and plans change. Verify at your postcode before switching. Use energymadeeasy.gov.au (NSW, QLD, SA, ACT, TAS) or vic.gov.au/victorianenergy-compare (VIC) for real-time comparison personalised to your address and usage.
Switching takes most people under 15 minutes — and can save hundreds of dollars per year. This is the process, without the confusing parts.
Pull out your most recent electricity or gas bill. You need four numbers: the retailer name and plan name, your daily supply charge (in cents per day), your usage rate (in cents per kWh for electricity or cents per MJ for gas), and your consumption in the billing period (in kWh or MJ). Also note whether you’re on a flat rate or time-of-use plan, and whether your current plan has an exit fee. If you’re on a variable-rate plan — most common — there is no exit fee. The plan name and any contract term are usually in the top section of the bill.
Go to energymadeeasy.gov.au if you’re in NSW, Queensland, SA, ACT, or Tasmania. Go to victorianenergysaver.vic.gov.au if you’re in Victoria. Both are free, run no advertising, and earn no commission from recommendations — making them more reliable than commercial comparison sites. Enter your postcode, your distribution network (it’s printed on your bill), and your recent usage figure. The tool returns every available plan in your area ranked by annual estimated cost, showing the dollar saving against your current plan and any conditions attached to discounts.
Focus on the estimated annual cost in dollars — not the discount percentage and not the headline rate. A “25% off” plan with a high base rate can cost more than a “10% off” plan with a lower base rate. Check the benefit period: discounts are often locked in for 12 months, after which the rate reverts. Also check whether the discount is guaranteed (applies regardless of your behaviour) or conditional (requires on-time payment, direct debit, and paperless billing simultaneously). Conditional discounts are more common but require discipline to actually receive.
Once you’ve identified the best plan, go directly to the provider’s website and sign up. You’ll need your name, current address, and your NMI (National Meter Identifier) number — a 10-digit number printed on your electricity bill that identifies your meter. The new retailer contacts your old retailer and handles the transfer. Your supply is not interrupted. Your old retailer sends a final bill for any remaining period. The entire administrative process typically completes within 2–4 weeks. If you’re switching gas, the MIRN (Meter Installation Reference Number) on your gas bill serves the same purpose as the NMI.
Energy retailers offer their best deals to new customers. Once you’ve been with a retailer for 12 months, your conditional discount benefit period may expire and your rate can revert. Set a phone reminder for 11 months after switching to compare plans again. From July 2026, the AER requires retailers to proactively notify customers when their benefit period is ending and show whether a better offer is available — but don’t rely on this. Your best protection is an annual comparison habit. It takes 15 minutes and typically finds $200–$500 in savings for households who haven’t compared in more than a year.
Many eligible households never claim the concessions they’re entitled to. These are real dollars — hundreds per year — that don’t transfer automatically when you switch providers and don’t find you on their own.
NSW runs multiple separate rebate programs. Low Income Household Rebate: $285/year for Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, and DVA card holders — applied to your electricity account. Gas Rebate: $110/year for eligible concession card holders on gas accounts. Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA): Emergency vouchers of $50 redeemable on energy bills through community welfare organisations — available to households in genuine financial crisis. Medical Energy Rebate: For people with medical conditions that require additional energy use (e.g. home dialysis, ventilators). Apply via your retailer or through Service NSW.
Victoria’s concession system is applied as a daily rate reduction. Annual Electricity Concession: Approximately $291.27/year (from 1 July 2026) — equivalent to around $0.80 per day — for eligible Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, and DVA holders. Winter Gas Concession: Applied during May–October billing, capped at approximately $402.50 once the cap is reached; an Excess Gas Concession applies if bills exceed this. Medical Heating and Cooling Concession: Available to eligible holders with a medical condition requiring additional energy for temperature regulation — call 1300 735 350 to apply. These concessions must be re-registered with a new retailer after switching.
Queensland Electricity Rebate: Approximately $372/year for eligible concession card holders in SE Qld and regional Queensland. Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession: For eligible households with medical conditions requiring temperature-controlled environments. Applied automatically to accounts that register with their retailer. Regional Queensland customers (on Ergon Energy) operate under the state’s regulated tariff system — the competitive market applies to SE Qld (Energex network). Switching considerations are different for regional customers; contact the Queensland Government’s energy assistance line for guidance specific to your address.
Given SA’s status as the highest-cost electricity state in Australia, concessions have a proportionally larger impact on bills here. Concession programs include electricity concessions for eligible Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, and DVA holders, as well as gas concessions for eligible customers on mains gas. The SA Government also runs the Energy Concession Extension Scheme for households just above the threshold of standard concession eligibility. SA’s flat-rate residential DMO 8 prices rose slightly in July 2026 (approximately $33/year) while time-of-use plans fell — for SA concession holders who haven’t compared recently, an urgent review is warranted. Check the SA Government’s concession hub at sa.gov.au/topics/care-and-support/concessions for current eligibility criteria and application links.
Every electricity and gas retailer in NSW, QLD, ACT, SA, and Tasmania is legally required by the Australian Energy Regulator to publish and implement a customer hardship policy. This means that if you contact your retailer and tell them you’re in financial difficulty, they must:
- Register you in their hardship program
- Set up a payment plan you can actually afford
- Notify you of any concessions you might not be claiming
- From December 2026: ensure you are not charged more than the best offer they can provide
While on a registered hardship program and keeping to your payment plan, your power cannot be disconnected. Do not ignore bills or disconnection notices — call your retailer first. If a dispute is unresolved, contact your state’s free energy ombudsman: EWON (NSW), EWOV (VIC), Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland, EWOSA (SA), or Energy Ombudsman Tasmania. Their service is free and independent.
Rooftop solar has changed the economics of energy bills — and new rules in 2026 change them further. Here’s what solar households need to know right now.
When your solar panels produce more electricity than your household uses at that moment, the surplus is exported to the grid and your retailer pays you a feed-in tariff (FiT) in cents per kWh. FiT rates have fallen significantly from their early highs — they now typically range from 0–8 cents per kWh depending on your retailer, state, and plan type. The morning and evening peaks are when grid electricity is most valuable; midday — when solar generation is at its peak and the grid is flooded with solar — is when FiT rates are lowest, sometimes approaching zero on certain networks. Canstar Blue’s average quarterly electricity bill for households with solar was approximately $397 in 2026, compared with higher averages for non-solar homes.
The AER’s new Solar Sharer Offer doesn’t require you to have solar panels. It gives any smart-meter household — including renters — three hours of completely free electricity per day during peak solar generation: 11am–2pm in NSW and SE Qld, 12pm–3pm in SA. During those hours, every kWh you use costs nothing. The plan has the same annual estimated cost as the standard time-of-use tariff for an average customer who uses energy at average times. For households that can actively shift usage to that three-hour window — running the dishwasher, washing machine, air conditioner, or electric vehicle charger at lunchtime — the savings can be meaningful. Ask your retailer whether they offer the Solar Sharer Offer and confirm your meter is smart-meter enabled (most meters installed after 2016 are).
As more rooftop and utility-scale solar floods the grid between 10am and 3pm, electricity is increasingly abundant — and cheap — during those hours. This is why retailers are introducing the Solar Sharer Offer and time-of-use plans with very low off-peak rates during the day. The flip side is that evening peak rates (roughly 5pm–9pm, when solar disappears and households turn everything on simultaneously) are rising in relative terms on time-of-use plans. For households with solar: your panels already capture the cheap-production daytime window. Check your FiT rate against what competitors offer — OVO Energy won the national solar satisfaction award in 2026. For households without solar: the Solar Sharer Offer is the closest equivalent to benefiting from midday solar without panels of your own.
The $75-per-quarter federal Energy Bill Relief Fund credit stopped appearing on bills from January 2026. That’s a $300 annual increase even if your rates didn’t change. At the same time, if you were receiving state top-ups (Queensland received significantly more), those may have reduced too. The immediate action: use energymadeeasy.gov.au to compare your current plan against what’s available in your area today. If you haven’t compared in the last 12 months, there is a very high likelihood a cheaper plan exists. The AER estimates 30% of households on standing offers or old market offers could save $300–$600 by switching.
Check your bill for the words “standing offer,” “standard contract,” or “default offer.” If any of those appear, you are almost certainly overpaying. The standing offer is the plan you land on by default — it’s priced near the regulated maximum, not at a competitive market rate. Go to energymadeeasy.gov.au, enter your details, and look at the estimated annual cost of your current plan versus the cheapest market offer in your area. The difference is what you could save by switching. Switching is free (unless your current plan has an exit fee — check first). Your supply is not interrupted.
Possibly not. Concessions do not transfer automatically when you switch retailers — you must notify your new provider and re-register your concession card with them. If you switched in the last few years and didn’t re-register, you may have been missing out. Contact your current retailer by phone and tell them you hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card. Ask them to check whether your concession is registered. Depending on your state, this could recover $285–$372 or more per year. Also ask your retailer whether there are any other rebates you might be eligible for that aren’t yet on your account — from July 2026, retailers are required to proactively inform customers of available concessions.
Possibly. If you’re on a standard flat-rate plan, you’re exporting solar at whatever FiT rate your retailer offers and importing at the flat usage rate. Compare: what is your current FiT rate (cents per kWh exported), and what are other retailers offering? OVO Energy won the 2026 Canstar solar satisfaction award. Origin Energy and Alinta Energy also offer competitive solar plans. Run a solar-specific comparison at energymadeeasy.gov.au — it allows you to input your export volume as well as usage, which changes the plan rankings significantly compared with a non-solar comparison. Also ask your retailer about the Solar Sharer Offer if your meter is smart-meter enabled.
Call your retailer immediately and ask to be registered on their hardship program. This is a legal requirement for all major retailers in the NEM states. Being registered on the hardship program restricts them from disconnecting your supply while you keep to a payment plan. At the same time, contact your state’s energy assistance program: EAPA vouchers in NSW, URGS in Victoria, HEEAS in Queensland. These are emergency payments delivered through community organisations — your local church, welfare service, or Salvation Army centre can facilitate access. Do not wait until a disconnection notice arrives. Call today. Your state’s free energy ombudsman is also available if your retailer is not cooperating: EWON (NSW) on 1800 246 545, EWOV (VIC) on 1800 500 509, EWOSA (SA) on 1800 665 565.
Yes. The benefit period on most discounted plans is 12 months — after that, conditional discounts may expire and rates can revert. New DMO 8 benchmark prices also took effect 1 July 2026, which reset what “competitive” means in NSW and SE Qld. Retailers regularly change which postcodes and networks get their best deals. A plan that was cheapest 12 months ago at your address may not be cheapest today. Set aside 15 minutes, pull out your latest bill, and run a fresh comparison on the government tool. If your current plan is still the cheapest option, great — you’ve confirmed it. If a better plan exists, the switching process is the same as it was the first time, and just as quick.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Electricity and gas prices, plan availability, provider ratings, rebate amounts, and eligibility criteria change regularly — always verify current details directly with your retailer, your state energy regulator, or the government comparison tools before making any decisions. Concession eligibility criteria are set by state and territory governments and are subject to change. If you are in financial hardship, contact your retailer’s hardship team or your state’s free energy ombudsman service. The government comparison tools energymadeeasy.gov.au and Victorian Energy Compare are free and independent — always the recommended starting point for plan comparisons.