Energy Comparison – VIC

Picking your best fit from Melbourne’s energy suppliers

There are five electricity providers in Melbourne and Victoria: AusNet Services, Citipower, Jemena, Powercor Australia, United Energy Distribution.

Your location determines your distributor. Even so, there are a range of retailers you can choose from that participate in the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) scheme. Some of the big names include Origin, Red, Simply Energy and a whole range of others. Consumers are free to compare retailer prices. However, the government brought in deregulation legislation. This leads to more competition in the market, which should drive prices down further. Econnex supplies clients with the information to find the cheapest gas and electrical energy providers for them in Melbourne, Vic, and NSW.

Cheaper electricity in Melbourne with concession card

If you have a concession card, there are a number of concessions and rebates available to you including:

• Annual Electricity Concession: a 17.5 percent annual reduction on mains electricity
• Service to Property Charge Concession: Discounted electricity supply charge for certain households
• Medical Cooling Concession: 17.5 percent winter discount for eligible customers who have qualifying medical conditions requiring cooling.
• Controlled Load Electricity Concession: 13 percent discount on controlled load usage
• Life Support Concession: Quarterly discount on bills for households where a concession cardholder uses eligible life support machines
• Electricity Transfer Fee Waiver: Transfer of service fee is waived for change of occupancy
• Excess Electricity Concession: Discounts for extremely high use of electricity

Victoria’s Energy Saver Incentive Scheme

If you don’t have a concession card, you still may be eligible for the Victoria’s Energy Saver Incentive Scheme.

In order to take advantage of pricing benefits, first, check your current tariff rate. Your electricity tariff is the pricing structure that determines how much you are charged for energy. For example this includes:

• The time of use (peak/off peak)
• A controlled load with a lower rate (such as your hot water system)
• Whether you have a renewable energy feed, and
• Whether your supplier has certain ‘blocks’ that cost more or less

Demand based tariffs are now also available, and may be suitable for your needs.

Want to choose a new retailer? Click here to compare in Victoria.

Cheaper gas in Melbourne

Similar to electricity, three companies distribute gas in Melbourne and Vic. These are AusNet Services, Australian Gas Networks, and Multinet Gas. They are all part of the EWOV.

10% of customers have remained on a standard plan since the government deregulated pricing. If you haven’t compared in a while, now is the time.
Concession card holders may be eligible for:

• Winter Gas Concession: Discount on gas bills from 1 May to 31 October
• Non-Mains Energy Concession: Annual rebate for cardholders using LPG for small-scale heating or cooking
• Excess Gas Concession: Discounts given to eligible users who use high amounts of gas
• Gas Hot Water Rebate: Cash back when replacing eligible water heaters to more energy-efficient appliances

Your distributor is determined by where you live, but you can choose from a range of retailers. Those who are members of the EWOV include big names such as: Origin, Red, Simply Energy and a whole range of others. Click here to compare.

You can choose a gas retailer for a lower rate – click here to compare.

To learn more about our services, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through our online enquiry form.

Top 20 plans for Victoria

As of October 2020, here are the top 20 cheapest electricity deals in VIC. These costs are for the Citipower network in Melbourne but rates may vary depending on your circumstances like your distributor, your meter type, and actual usage. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our extensive comparison platform for a specific comparison in your area and to see other plans in our database that may be available. Our database may not include all energy plans in your area.

VIC energy rebates and concessions

Utility Relief Grant Scheme (URGS)

Rebate value:

Up to $650 toward your natural gas bill and up to $650 toward your electricity, once in a 2-year period. Households with electricity only will be eligible to receive the full $1,300 towards their account.

Eligibility:

Low-income earners who have difficulty paying their gas and/or electricity bills.

How to apply:

Visit Victoria’s grants website.

Annual Electricity Concession

Rebate value:

17.5% of your bill (after any discounts and feed-in tariff credits have been applied).

Eligibility:

Eligible concession card holders with a yearly electricity bill greater than $2,948 (including GST).

How to apply:

Visit Victoria’s Excess Electricity Concession web page.

Controlled Load Electricity Concession

Rebate value:

13% of the controlled load charges for electric hot water or slab heating.

Eligibility:

Householders with a concession card that have a home with a dual element or smart electricity meter.

How to apply:

The concession will automatically be applied to your bill if you are eligible and have provided a valid concession card.

To find out more, visit Victoria’s Controlled Load Electricity Concession web page.

Non-Mains Energy Concession

Rebate value:

This will depend on the annual cost of each non-mains energy source.

Eligibility:

Concession cardholders who:

• Rely on LPG, firewood or heating oil for domestic heating, cooking or hot water; or
• Use non-mains electricity via an embedded network, or
• Rely on a generator for their power.

How to apply:

Visit Victoria’s Non-Mains Energy Concession web page.

Medical Cooling Concession

Rebate value:

17.5% of the electricity charges for the period 1 November to 30 April.

Eligibility:

People with concession cards that cannot self-regulate their body temperature when it’s very hot or cold.

How to apply:

Visit Victoria’s Medical Cooling Concession web page.

Service to Property Charge Concession

Rebate value:

This will be based on the usage cost before any solar credits are deducted. When the electricity use on a bill is lower than the service charge, the service charge is reduced to the cost of the electricity used.

Eligibility:

Concession card holders with low electricity usage.

How to apply:

Register your concession card with your electricity retailer.

To find out more, visit Victoria’s Service and Property Charge Concession web page.

Winter Gas Concession

Rebate value:

17.5% of your gas charges from 1 May and 31 October (after any discounts).

 Eligibility:

Concession card holders with a natural gas bill of more than $1,613 (incl GST) (between 1 May to 30 October 2020).

How to apply:

Visit Victoria’s Excess Gas Concession web page.

Life Support Concession

Rebate value:

This rebate is calculated using the general domestic tariff of your retailer and is paid quarterly. People be eligible for a rebate equal to the cost of 1,880 kWh of electricity per year.

Eligibility:

Concession card holders who use an eligible life support machine or have a household member who uses an eligible life support machine.

How to apply:

Visit Victoria’s Life Support Concession web page.

Other ways to save on your energy bills

If you’re not eligible for an energy rebate, you might be able to make some savings by switching your energy plan – especially if you’ve been on the same plan for a long time.

See how much you could save. Compare electricity retailers VIC.

Victoria rewards residents who go solar

If you live in Victoria and you’re going solar, you’re lucky. Victoria still offers a good range of incentives for residents to install solar panels and solar batteries. There are rebates available for both homes and rental properties. Plus, there is an interest-free loan to assist people with purchasing a photovoltaic solar system. So, if you’re thinking about going solar, check out the details below.

Solar panel rebate

 Rebate value:

• Up to $1,888 for solar panel (PV) system installation, for homeowners and rental properties (if you rent, see Solar Rebates for Rental Properties below).
• In addition, householder can also apply for an interest-free loan for an amount equivalent to their rebate amount (to be re-paid over four years).

 Eligibility:

• Owner-occupiers that don’t have an existing solar PV system.
• Combined household taxable income of less than $180,000 per year .
• An existing property valued at under $3 million.

How to apply:

Apply online at the Solar Victoria website.

Solar Rebate for Rental Properties

Rebate value:

• Up to $1,888 is available for rental properties, subject to a Solar Homes Landlord-Tenant Agreement being signed.

Eligibility:

• Tenants receive a combined household taxable income of less than $180,000 per annum (based on any of the last two year’s taxable income).
• Property is valued at under $3 million.
• Property does not already have solar panels (PV) installed.
• No prior participation in the Solar Homes program for that address.
• A Solar Homes Landlord Rebate Agreement is signed by landlord and all tenant(s).

How to apply:

Apply online at the Solar Victoria website.

Solar battery rebate

Rebate value:

• Up to $4,838 for a solar battery system.

Eligibility:

• Owner-occupiers that live in selected postcodes.
• Solar PV panels with a capacity equal to or greater than 5kW.
• Combined household taxable income of less than $180,000 per annum (based on any of the last two year’s taxable income).
• Property is valued at under $3 million.
• Pre-approval is obtained from your Distributed Network Service Provider (DNSP)to safely connect a battery to the grid.
• The energy storage solution is listed on Solar Victoria’s Approved Battery List and the property does not have an existing energy storage system.
• The property address has not previously taken part in the Solar Homes Program.
• The owner/s agrees to receive information from their Distribution Network Service Provider about taking part in battery trials to maximise the value households get from them.
• Owner/s agree to receive a free safety inspection and/or audit under the Solar Victoria Audit Program, if selected.

 How to apply:

Apply online at the Solar Victoria website.

Solar hot water rebate

Rebate value:

• Up to $1,000 on a solar hot water system.

Eligibility:

• Owner-occupiers.
• Combined household taxable income of less than $180,000 per year.
• An existing property valued at under $3 million.
• The property is not a new build .
• The hot water system to be replaced is at least three years old from the date of purchase.
• They have not received a solar PV rebate or a battery rebate under the Solar Homes program.
• The solar (or heat pump) hot water system is on the Solar Homes program approved products list.
• Properties that are connected to reticulated natural gas, without solar PV greater than 2.5kW, can only install gas-booster solar hot water systems.

 How to apply:

Apply online at the Solar Victoria website.

Loans for solar panel (PV) systems

Rebate value:

• An interest-free loan up to the amount of the rebate.

Eligibility:

• Owner-occupier of the property.
• Combined household taxable income of less than $180,000 per year (based on last year’s Australian Tax Office Notice of Assessment).
• An existing property valued at under $3 million.
• They do not have an existing solar PV system.
• No-interest loan amount (paid to the solar provider) to be re-paid by the householder over 4 years.

 How to apply:

Apply online at the Solar Victoria website.

Solar feed-in tariffs

Did you know solar feed-in tariffs can also help you save money on your energy bills? Also known as ‘solar tariffs’ or ‘buy back rates’, feed-in tariffs give you money back for any surplus solar power you export to the electricity grid.

To find out more, see Using solar feed-in tariffs to save.

For more information on going solar, see A little guide to solar.