Tips for choosing or changing electricity retailer

How to shop around

Customers in South East Queensland are able to choose their electricity retailer. This means you can shop around for an electricity retail offer that suits your household or small business.

There are many ways to shop around for electricity. Just remember:

Click the Australian Governmentâs free and independent comparison site Energy Made Easy
Call your current retailer and ask for a better deal
Ask someone you trust for help to shop around.

You do have a ten day cooling off period if you change your mind.

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Things to remember

Some offers may include a pay on time discount or require you to enter into a direct debit arrangement to receive a greater discount. Other offers may pay you different feed-in-tariffs for rooftop solar. Offers may also include late payment or other fees.

Different conditions apply to different offers so it is important to read the offer conditions before you enter into a new contract.

You can switch retailers if you already have the Solar Bonus Scheme that closed on 10 July 2012 provided you maintain your eligibility.

Electricity retail price deregulation

Retail electricity prices in South East Queensland (SEQ) will be deregulated from 1 July 2016. Over time, electricity retailers are expected to provide customers with a greater range of offers following deregulation. This means that electricity customers in SEQ (i.e. Energex's network service area) will increasingly have more choice.

You can view a map of the state electorates in the Energex network (PDF, 492.6KB) .

Regional customers outside of SEQ (see below) are not affected by these changes.

The Queensland Government has launched a comprehensive electricity consumer education campaign to help customers shop around for a better electricity deal. Visit qld.gov.au/energysave to see how shopping around is not hard, doesn't take long and could save you money.

To receive updates, you can also follow the Department of Energy and Water Supply on social media.

And remember to regularly shop around to make sure you are always on the best electricity plan for your circumstances.

For customers outside South East Queensland

Ergon Energy is a government-owned, non-competitive electricity retailer and may only charge its customers the notified prices (i.e. no market contracts, no discounts).

Once large or small customers leave Ergon Energy to take up a market contract with another retailer, they cannot return. This is known as the non-reversion policy.
Small customers who leave Ergon Energy and take up a market contract with another retailer are entitled to be supplied by that retailer at the government-set regulated prices when their market contract expires.
However, this obligation doesn't extend to other retailers, so customers may have no option but to stay with that retailer.
For small customers the terms and conditions are the same as those for customers supplied by Ergon Energy, but large customers will have to negotiate their own terms and conditions.
Customers should be aware of this and be certain of what they are committing to before they sign a market contract.
If large customers have any doubt or are uncertain about what they are being told by a retailer, they should seek the services of an energy broker.

Find out more

Learn more about electricity contracts.
Compare prices of electricity contracts available from retailers.
Find out about the classification of electricity customers and your consumer rights.
Call the Australian Energy Regulator infoline on 1300 585 165 for more information.
Visit the Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland or call 1800 662 837 if you have experienced issues with your energy retailer.