Compare Electricity & Gas

To compare electricity and gas plans, you typically need to provide the following:

• Your home address
• Whether you want electricity, gas or both
• Whether you are moving house or wanting to switch plans at your current home
• If you are looking for a new energy plan, input your billing details for solar power if applicable to you.

Submitting this information into our comparison tool will help us determine the plans you are eligible for and help you look for great-value plans from our range in minutes. Note that if you live in an area where you can’t choose your own energy plan, you may have limited options available. Find out more about whether you can switch providers.

The best electricity plan will depend on your individual circumstances, so comparing at least once a year can help ensure you’re not paying more than you need to.

Your current provider may not have the best available offer because:

• Your discount period has expired
• You’ve rolled over to a standing offer
• Your provider may have increased their energy rates
• Your energy needs may be better suited to a different tariff
• Your provider withdrew from the energy market, and you were automatically placed with a different provider.

Pricing is one of the key differentiators between choosing one energy plan over another. That said, looking at just one feature (like a discount) may not be the answer to finding the cheapest energy deal available that is most suitable to your needs.

To determine the best-value plan for your household, consider:

• The usage and supply charges
• If there’s a discount period or incentives
• If you meet the discount conditions (e.g. pay by direct debit or eBills)
• If there are any exit fees
• What tariffs are available to you.

Make an informed choice for your household’s energy usage by comparing energy providers and options with our service. Review and compare discounts, sign-up credits or perks available and look at your estimated monthly, quarterly or yearly energy cost.

There are numerous benefits to comparing energy plans online:

• Take advantage of a better plan. Your current energy plan may not feature discounts or lower usage rates. Or, you may have rolled over to a default offer, which is the maximum price you can be charged for electricity when discounts have expired.
• See if there’s a better price available. Your energy bill includes supply and usage charges, which vary between providers. By comparing, you can look to see whether another provider offers more competitive rates or sign-up credits.
• Review a range of plan discounts. Discounts can lower your energy bill for a set period; when comparing, always check if you need to meet criteria or conditions to receive the offer.

Simply put, comparing your options using our free energy price comparison service can help you to find a cheaper energy provider and energy plan.

To track down the best electricity or gas plan for you, it is recommended to compare your energy plan once a year with available offers in the market to see if there are any better deals out there based on your needs. When comparing, there are certain energy plan features you should consider, including:

• The benefit period (e.g. your bill may include a discount for 12-24 months)
• Applicable discounts and other perks
• New customer sign-up credit(s)
• Daily supply charge (cents per day)
• Usage charges (cents per kilowatt-hours)
• Fees (e.g. for paper bills)
• Estimated monthly, quarterly or annual energy costs.

Depending on where you live, you can also use the Default Market Offer (DMO) or Victorian Default Offer (VDO) to get an idea of what a reasonable price for electricity should be, as set by the Australian Government.

There are two types of energy charges that make up your electricity bill:

• Supply charges. Also called a fixed or service charge, it’s the cost of transporting energy to your property and staying connected to the network.
• Usage charges. The price your provider charges you for the energy you use.

Energy distributors charge the providers for electricity and gas supply. Providers then determine the supply and usage charges and apply them to your energy plan.

Tariffs are the way your energy provider charges you for your electricity, which is based on how your electricity has been wired in your home. There are several different tariffs that affect your energy bill:

Single rate tariff
A single rate tariff charges you the same rate for your energy use, no matter the time of day.

Time-of-use tariff
Time of use means your electricity usage is more or less expensive at different times of the day or night, divided into peak, off-peak and shoulder/solar soak periods.

Controlled load tariff
A controlled load tariff may be used for particular appliances, such as underfloor heating, that have their own meter. Your provider charges a specific rate for the energy that appliance uses.

Your gas usage rate can depend on what type of tariff you’re on and who your gas supplier is. Gas tariffs may include:

Flat rate tariff
A flat rate tariff means you’ll be charged the same gas rate for your usage at all times of the day.

Block rate tariff
This rate is charged based on your gas usage. For example, you may pay a singular rate for the first ‘block’, then a second rate if you exceed that amount.

Seasonal tariff
As you typically use gas more in winter, you may pay a higher seasonal tariff during this period and a lower rate in summer.