Best Energy Providers
Energy Locals 🏆 2026
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I have now lost complete access to the Self Service Portal. My last access to the portal was on the 18th July 2026. It is now the 12th August 2026.… Read more
I've rang and used your online chat several times regarding the issue. The stock standard response is they will get someone to look into. There must be an over abundent supply of mirrors at energy locals, because everybody there is looking into it, instead of fixing the problem. Surely 4weeks to fix a computer gliche is unacceptable.
Origin Energy
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Sam was lovely, understanding and patient. Made the experience a lot better and wasn’t on hold for long either Show details
GloBird Energy 🏆 2026
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Advertise one rate but then can't honour it. As soon as you try to sign up they up the costs by almost 50%. Show details
CovaU 🏆 2026
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Extremely expensive and horrible service. Long story short, I had a $200 bill that I was unable to pay in time. It was due on the 3rd of August. My… Read more
next day was due to be the 12th of August so thought I’d just pay it then. Instead of any kind of follow up when the bill was overdue, the only contact I had was from a debt collector, 4 DAYS AFTER IT WAS DUE (on Friday the 7th of August).No contact from CovaU at all. This was a violation of their own terms of service which clearly state that if you haven’t paid the bill by the due date, they will give you a reminder notice which will : “ give you a further due date for payment that will be no fewer than 6 business days after we issue the notice.”
Direct quote from their Market Retail Contract Terms and conditions. But no. No reminder notices. No “further due date”. Nothing. Just had a bunch of emails from the debt collectors. The cherry on top is it wasn’t even the “final bill.” I got that today and the due date is the 28th of August. The total was $275 But the debt collectors then said “oh that’s for the $75 because collections has already started on the $200.
I paid the bill in full today (as again I was paid today and was able to) but it’s disgusting behaviour from CovaU to not even bother contacting their clients about unpaid bills, not follow their own terms and conditions and send debt collectors after someone over a bill that was 4 days late.
Oh and not to mentioned I contacted CovaU about this issue and at that time was told there was actually a $86 credit in my account. Obviously that’s great but I was never told about this credit. There was no note of it on any invoice, no emails from them and no indication anywhere on my account. I’ve requested the amount be refunded by why wasn’t that $86 used toward the bill in the first place. And if I never messaged them to complain about the above issue, I wouldn’t have known it existed.
Anyway, do NOT use this company. The fees may be cheap when you sign up but they then go up in price nearly immediately and are supper expensive. They don’t follow their own terms and services and don’t bother communicating anything to their customers
1st Energy
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Consider we have installed solar, our bills are ridiculous! I rang up to fix a bill and asked why I hadn't been getting direct debited like normal.… Read more
The lady on the other end barely spoke English. Now, I'm not racist but seriously! Please employ people that speak clearly. I don't know what I'm agreeing to.
Kleenheat
Zoe was very helpful and sorted out my query promply. It's a pity my account is going to lose the 38% discount (down to 15.5%) in the next few months. Show details
Arc Energy Group
I called for assistance regarding billing and lovely Ms Angelica did not disappoint, so grateful for she’s always ready to help. Show details
Amber Electric
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Amber is one of those few companies which has never failed to deliver a great product and more, importantly, great support to enable real savings. … Read more
Amber has pioneered an innovative system which benefits the consumer as well as producing a more rational and sustainable way to produce, use and store energy.
We all have different needs depending on family makeup, lifestyle and time of life. Amber allows you to control your energy use whatever your situation. EV, or no EV, Battery, or no Battery, Solar, or no Solar; Amber has the tools to make the most efficient use of your power and provides the support to help get the most out of those tools whatever your situation. (I'm sounding like a salesperson here, but I simply can't speak high enough of Amber's business model)
Great ways to manage ways to control each consumer which matches their own personal needs, abilities, equipment and level of understanding of the complex generation, distribution and storage industry. Staff are always informative and helpful and treat customers with respect and dignity.
A truly impressive company enabling consumers to save huge amounts of money by the way they use electricity.
Smart Energy
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Lovely people. Rotten service. Did the job and discovered: 1) My EV charger was disconnected in the power box, 2) $18,000 and I still get power… Read more
bills, WT? 3) Only half the house wired to use the battery (one circuit), so during a blackout only half the house had power.
OVO Energy
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Spoke to them in the phone, I was promised a 90$/month I agreed to it then when the contract arrived it appears to. E a monthly fixed payment of… Read more
144$/month , so the amount has almost doubled and the Clinton compulsory payment was never mentioned to me on the phone , so basically they credibality
Sumo Energy
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SUMO is an absolute scam! I had just signed up because their advertised rates looked very competitive. However, only a few weeks later I received my… Read more
first elec bill and discovered they had charged me $5.00 per kW for Peak Demand instead of the 50 cents per kW stated in my Welcome Agreement—a shocking 10 times higher than agreed.
Luckily, the incorrect rate only applied for a short period, and I noticed it quickly. I tried calling their customer service, but after waiting on hold for over 30 minutes, no one answered.
I'm switching to another electricity provider immediately. Stay away from SUMO and don't be fooled by their misleading advertised rates.
Energy Locals Retail
Energy locals were great for last 2.5 years, then in recent months, 3 bills issued in error and reissued all at once, it took a complaint to… Read more
ombudsman for any acknowledgement of how that impacted on my budget and some of the initial responses from customer service were terrible. I was then assisted with my complaint and was offered a credit for all the difficulty in their complaints process however, in last 2 days have received a bill issued then reissued, so they have not fixed anything in their billing system, can't reccommend them, until they fix their billing issues and when this happened in last couple of days, I felt relieved that we had gone to another energy company after nearly 3 years with energy locals, I just can't trust their billing anymore
Diamond Energy
Honest and reliable renewable electricity at good prices. The customer service is excellent. I have been with the company for over 10 years. Show details
Dodo Power & Gas
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Pleasant, informative and extremely polite...was a pleasure to deal with. Show details
Pacific Hydro
No on time gimicks games – I am with Pacific Hydro with last one year. Straight forward electricity price. You no need to calculator for discount rates (one time pay), no… Read more
discount movie tickets-ETC. i am very happy with them. s.chitaranjan victoria
Bill Hero
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Unfortunately the Bill Hero service and experience has gone down the drain. The suggested solutions based on analysis of my bills simply don't exist… Read more
OR for whatever reason aren't available in my area. I have tried to clarify this point with Bill Hero via both live chat and via emails, but they simply don't reply. I have now effectively paid a subscription for a service that doesn't work and has no support. It's a shame because there WAS a time that it was a good service.
Arcline by RACV
If you want to have a cheaper electricity rate, it is worthwhile to check witn RACV Arcline. New company and their rates are usually cheaper if you… Read more
are a RACV member depending on the suburb. I am happy with it. Much more cheaper supply fee than the others.
To get $50 credit to your account do this:
“When asked 'How did you hear about us', select 'Friend' and provide my account number 9111350.”
Red Energy
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After noticing that Alinta energy has been abusing my elderly grandmother for countless years, I realised I've never taken the time to review my own… Read more
energy company, Red Energy.
Red energy is an Australian owned and operated company which is why I initially gravitated towards it, their rates are competitive, and their customer help line is staffed by Australians, in Australia, which means they actually know things I'm talking about, can understand me without army -letter -spelling every second word, and I can understand them. I've never had a personal issue with call wait times, but honestly this level of service and professionalism would be worth a bit of extra time if it means I don't have to talk to someone from India with a strong accent who has never stepped foot in Australia and doesn't even know when Easter is or that it's a public holiday. But I digress.
Once when I was concerned about a rather large bill, despite my being away for half of it, I contacted red energy by email while still on my holiday upset, wondering if I'd left my AC running, they very quickly got back to me, not just with a whole lot of data showing the breakdown of my reads for the entire period of the bill, but also offered what was clearly a personalised analysis and helpful explanation of how to understand the data myself in response to my concerns, it turned out that I hadn't left the AC on, I'd just been that busy for the first half of the month (we also have an electric car) that I'd legitimately managed to use more power than a normal month, in just 15 days.
The rates themselves are competitive, I'm very happy with my current plan, but even better Red energy has also contacted me in the past to let me know they have a different plan I should move onto based on their calculations etc to save me more money, and have always been quick with responses no matter how inane or frustrated my questions have been (boy was I annoyed when I first found out about the demand tariff, but the lady who had to talk me through that and fixed me up with monthly billing was 100% lovely and patient and understanding)
Nectr
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Nextr, damaged the roof during the installation, the builder identified a leak in the roof with pictures and evidence and Nectr denied any damage… Read more
which is only next to the installation, regardless of the warranty offering it ment nothing once tried to claim. I gave them plenty of options and time to reolve they wouldnt log it as a warranty claim even though its so abvious they damaged the sheets. Dodgy installation it was just get it done quick and nasty so they can move onto the next job. Pick another installer it cost me double to have the roof repaired. What started as a 17k install ended up being a 32k install. DO NOT USE THEM!
WinConnect
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I experienced extremely poor service from this company and do not believe customer welfare was a priority for them. We were charged unexpectedly high… Read more
bills, and shortly afterward the business was sold to Origin without any recourse being offered to affected customers. We were also threatened with disconnection if payment was not made immediately, with no consideration given to our circumstances. In addition, the pricing charged was exorbitant. I would strongly advise against using this company.
Locality Planning Energy
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Had to go with these guys as electricity was locked in with the unit. Worse customer service, ridiculous fees. If you have a choice avoid at all costs negative five stars Show details
Altogether
We had to arrange for a number of accounts to be redirected to another email account and cross check the accounts to ensure we had covered them all. … Read more
Brie, the Support person was very easy and good to deal with and attended to our requirements quickly. It is SO GOOD to speak with a real person in support. Thank you, Brie.
Powershop Australia
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Their system does not allow a transfer of names and I was told that if I wanted to include my partner to the account my partner would have to create… Read more
a new account and would be subject to new power rates.
This is a company that is operating behind the times and actively has process that is exploitative. This has to be illegal through unfair contract terms!
ZEN Energy
Zen is the way to go – Highly recommend Zen. Great people to deal with, very professional. Now have a 16 panel system and my last monthly bill was $4.77. Total generation for the month of January 2024 was 1017kwh Show details
Aurora Energy
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The Aurora+ app is a joke! When we moved into our house we noticed unusually high bills, we connected with Time of use tarriff. The bill prompted us… Read more
to change tarriffs to a flat rate, then after a lot of watching the app power trends we identified our meter tarriffs were backwards. This was rectified by the meter contractor. We then put a solar panel installation on to lower the bills and new heat pump and hot water timer, yet the bills seem to be growing. We are always in credit within the app and yet the amount deducted daily and usage daily aren't lining up, now that they've increased price per kwh and lowered feed in tarriff its time to look for someone else to provide power. The customer service agents must have a prerequisite to not read enquiries as they respond with emails that dont answer simple questions. There is no way via the app to accurately work out the funds in and out.
ReAmped Energy
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Just wanted to say to all the whingers complaining here...you weren't complaining when your electricity was the cheapest it's ever been, my bill was… Read more
HALVED, after joining Reamped. I was very sorry when they had to cease trading because of a volatile market, but I check every now and then to see if they are operating, and when they do, I will be signing up again, because who doesn't want to pay $500 LESS per quarter for their power?
Energy Cloud Australia
Poor Quality without warranty service – The panel is broken in three months after installation. They refuse to replace it and blame you broke the panel. My friend also chose this company,… Read more
they did not link to electrical grid. One year later, my friend found out after checking electrical bills. They also refuse to provide any compensation. NO product warranty and performance warranty from this company!
Alinta Energy
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Made a payment via their website for an outstanding bill, they’ve lost the payment and when I contacted them via their website I’m not sure if I’m… Read more
talking to a person or AI running on windows 95, because the replies and super slow and unhelpful, asked to provide information provided it and now waiting 25 minutes for a reply ….. if I Was CEO I would Be restructing this organisation…
Agas National
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57% Disapproval rate on Product Review says a lot with NOT being" treated as a valued customer & not just a number"as Agas repeat as they keep you on… Read more
hold. On Mon 27July I rang Agas depot in Arundel at 9.23am from my home in Parkwood located 5 mins away.Then requested for their advertised" Free Same Day Delivery "on their website & was told same day delivery strictly closes by 9.00am regardless if I lived 5 mins away from their depot, so why don't they say that in their Bold Advt.?? Delivery would be now Tues before the End of their day.No option to specify AM or PM time like many proactive business's do. Tues 28July I rang AGAS at 5.40pm after waiting since 7.00am as my cylinder didn't arrive & was told delivery man rang TWICE and arrived at 4.30pm to find our front gate locked..My 24 Mobile Message service had NO record of either call being made plus I had the Front open from 7.00am to 6.00pm yesterday a total fabrication of the truth. Wed 28July I rang again at 6.15am & was told if it doesn't arrive by lunchtime today ring us back. No thought of my delivery being prioritized at the front of their queue for today, no that would be using commonsense.
Lumo Energy
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I have had no issues with Lumo since joining, Recently I needed to change my payment details and I contacted Lumo by phone. The call was answered… Read more
quickly and the operator explained what I needed to do very clearly. It took one a minute or two to finish my transaction wtih a knowledgeable and friendly operator.
Should I switch energy providers?
There are a few reasons as to why you might want to switch energy providers. Sometimes, the value of deals deteriorates over time when the benefit period ends and costs increase.
Lots of customers are also swayed into an energy deal by ‘bait and switch’ tactics, which offer huge discounts when you sign up with a retailer, to only then have them raise prices without warning.
With energy prices rising, it could also be a good idea to reassess whether the plan you’re on is the most suited to your energy usage and budget.
Whether or not you switch energy providers is up to you, but it’s always a good idea to pay attention to your energy bill and see whether you’re getting a good deal.
How do I choose an energy provider?
Here’s what you should consider when you’re comparing gas and electricity providers.
Your usage
Make sure that the plan you’re going on is a good fit for your energy usage. A contract might, for example, offer discounts on off-peak energy use. While this may mean savings if you can realistically move activities to these times, it may increase your costs if you need to use energy at peak times.
Keep some of your previous bills with you when shopping around
Keeping copies of your last few energy bills handy while you shop around can help you easily see how much energy you use and how much you pay. This will make it simpler to compare deals across the market and find a better one.
Price
Your energy bill has two parts: a supply charge (also referred to as a service charge or fixed charge) and a usage charge.
The supply charge is how much it costs to connect electricity or gas to your home, and will appear on your bill as either cents per day or as a total amount for the billing period. You’ll be charged this even if you don’t use any electricity or gas.
The usage charge is the cost of the electricity or gas that you use.
- For electricity, you’ll be billed in cents per kilowatt hour (c/kWh).
- For natural gas, you’ll be billed cents per megajoule (c/MJ).
It’s important to look at the rate per kWh or MJ when comparing deals. Sometimes, your bill might show more than one usage charge, such as different usage charges depending on whether you used energy in peak, shoulder, or off-peak times.
Is it cheaper to buy gas and electricity together?
It isn’t necessarily cheaper to buy gas and electricity from the same retailer. In some cases, bundling both on a dual fuel plan may score you some discounts, but these could still be more expensive in the long run than paying for electricity from one provider and gas with another.
You should still compare base usage rates to make sure you’re getting a good deal. If a retailer offers a dual fuel discount but their underlying rates aren’t actually competitive, then it may not be worth it.
Although not necessarily cheaper, one advantage to consolidating gas and electricity under a single provider is that it can make paying bills and budgeting easier.
Type of contract
The tariff you’re charged will depend on what kind of contract you have with your provider, who may offer you either a standard retail contract or a market retail contract.
Standard retail contracts have set terms and conditions and cannot be changed by the provider. Under some of these contracts, the price you pay for energy is determined by the state or territory government. If you’ve never switched retailers, then you’ll likely be on this type of contract.
Market retail contracts have varied terms and conditions. They may cost less, offer renewable energy or discounts, and often have fixed terms where you’re charged an exit fee if you leave the contract early. In most cases, these types of offers will be cheaper in the long run and are more competitive out of the two.
Fees
There may be some extra fees charged under your contract, including but not limited to:
- Late fee: this is charged if you fail to pay your bill on time.
- Credit card fee: a fee charged if you pay by credit card.
- Early termination fee: if you’re on a fixed term contract, you may be charged a fee if you switch before the contract has ended.
- Moving fee: some retailers charge this if you move home.
Payment method
Check billing and payment details, such as how and when you’re billed. Also see if the provider’s payment options are suited to you.
You should also check the provider’s hardship policy and what this entails, particularly if you’re working with a tighter budget. A hardship policy offers support and protection if you are struggling to pay your energy bill.
Discounts
You can sometimes get certain discounts for your energy bills, including:
- Pay on time: applies if you pay your bill on time. If you don’t manage to pay a bill on time, you may however be hit with a late fee.
- Email billing: sometimes offered if you choose to have your bills emailed instead of sent by mail. Conversely, some retailers will charge you a fee for a paper bill rather than offering this discount.
- Direct debit: offered when you let your retailer directly take what you owe from your bank account, rather than waiting for you to pay your bill manually.
Just remember to keep in mind that often discounts are temporary. They may be nice extras, but don’t rely on them for savings in the long term.
You should check whether discounts apply to the whole bill (that is, both supply charges and usage charges) or just usage, because this can make quite a difference to what you’re actually saving.
Going green
There are also providers that are more environmentally friendly than others, but it can be difficult to cut through the noise with so many retailers advertising themselves as “green”.
Consider the following questions when assessing a retailer’s environmental impact:
- Does the provider offer green energy products to let their customers support the renewable energy sector?
- Does the provider offer carbon offsetting?
- Does the provider support renewable energy industries? For example, do they support electric vehicles, or do they own assets like solar farms or wind farms?
GreenPower is renewable energy from companies across Australia that have been accredited by the government. If you’re interested in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping grow the renewable energy sector, then consider purchasing this. However, in some cases, you may be paying extra on top of your usage to offset your power.
Checklist before you switch
If you’ve found a plan that suits you and you’re ready to switch, go through the checklist below.
- Check with your current provider to see if they can offer you a better deal. Some power providers will match or do better.
- Know about your cooling-off rights. By law, when you enter a new energy contract, you have a cooling-off period of 10 business days, during which you can cancel the contract and not be charged an exit fee.
- Check leaving fees. See whether you have to pay a fee to leave your current energy plan.
- Check price changes. See whether prices can change on your new plan, and whether there are already any planned price changes.
- See if you can get a concession. Rebates and concessions are typically offered to pensioners, low-income earners, and those with certain medical conditions.
- Check the conditions of a contract. Ask what will happen at the end of your contract, including what you’ll need to do if you want to renew and what will happen if you want to switch providers.
Contact the new provider directly if you do decide to switch. The process of switching energy providers can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months to do, depending on your retailer and where you are in the payment cycle. Your energy supply won’t be interrupted if you choose to switch.
Look at the energy price fact sheet
Always read the energy price fact sheet of the electricity or gas plan you’re considering.
An energy retailer must provide a summary of a contract by law. This energy price fact sheet must include all costs and charges, payments and penalties for early termination, the contract date and duration, billing and payment details, as well as your rights and obligations.
The bottom line
It’s important to know the fine print of any power supplier and plan you’re considering switching over to. You could even ask a friend or family member to look over your new contract - a fresh set of eyes may pick up on even a minor detail that you’ve overlooked.
Cutting through the marketing and seeing an energy plan for what it is - including rates, fees, benefits, and more - is essential to helping you compare energy providers and find a good deal that means savings on your bills.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general information only. It should not be taken as constituting professional advice from the website owner - ProductReview.com.au. ProductReview.com.au is not a financial adviser. You should consider seeking independent legal, financial, taxation or other advice to check how the website information relates to your unique circumstances. ProductReview.com.au is not liable for any loss caused, whether due to negligence or otherwise arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information provided directly or indirectly, by use of this website.
Compare, switch and save all in one place
Hi Greg, As discussed in our direct communication,… Read more