There are different companies that make, move and sell energy
The quality and reliability of our energy depends on the companies who make and move energy. You cannot choose these companies – they are based on the area you live.
You can, however, choose which company you buy your energy from. These companies are known as energy retailers.
In Victoria, there many different energy retailers to choose from.
Each company has a range of different prices for providing energy to your home – these are called energy plans (also known as energy offers).
Energy plans and prices
With energy plans, you pay for every unit of energy you use plus a daily fee to bring energy to your home.
It is important to choose the right energy plan and energy company, as the difference in costs between energy companies and energy plans can be hundreds of dollars.
Good to know
- Your energy plan does not affect the quality and reliability of the energy you get – all households access the same electricity and gas.
- Every company has many different energy plans. You and your neighbour can be with the same company but pay different prices for energy if you are on a different energy plan.
- Energy prices change over time, so it’s good to regularly check that you are on the right plan for your household.
- Energy companies can only increase your energy prices once per year. The energy company must tell you about any price changes, at least five days before they change your prices. If you’re unhappy with the new prices, shop around for something cheaper.
- There are rules to make sure that your energy will stay connected even if your energy company stops operating. If this happens, your account will automatically be moved to another company.
Changing energy companies or energy plans
Changing energy plans is easy. It is not like mobile phone contracts – you do not have to pay out your contract. Just call the energy company you want to switch to and they will help you.
Once you choose a company to buy your energy from, you enter into a contract to pay for the energy they provide to your home.
Energy contracts
The contract sets out:
- the prices you will pay for energy
- how long your contract is for
- how often you will get your bill and how you can pay (direct debit, BPay, Post Office).
Good to know
- Finding the very best plan for your home is easy with the Victorian Government’s free, independent Victorian Energy Compare website.
- Rules mean that your energy stays connected when changing company. Your new company will take care of moving your energy bill to them.
- You only pay for the energy you are using with one company at a time (you will not get double charged).
End of contract
If you do not do anything at the end of your contract, you will automatically be put on the Victorian Default Offer – the government’s price for electricity or your companies best offer for gas.
Alternatively, go to Victorian Energy Compare to see if there is an even cheaper energy plan for you.