Compare Energy and Gas in Adelaide, South Australia
Are you looking to compare electricity and gas plans, providers and prices in Adelaide or across South Australia? Then you’re in the right place! If it’s been a while since you last compared your energy options, then it’s likely that you’re paying more than you need to.
The thing is, manually comparing energy providers and plans can be tedious, confusing and time-consuming. That’s why Compare and Connect has done the hard work for you. We’ve compared the options from our panel of energy retailers in South Australia so that you can find the plan for your specific needs.
Why Compare Energy in South Australia?
- There are many energy suppliers in the South Australian market for you to choose from, each offering varying rates and deals. By comparing these power suppliers and the plans they offer, you can ensure you’re getting the most out of your energy and reduce the bills you pay.
- South Australia offers different tariffs. With the help of a smart meter, you can determine which tariff best suits your household and use certain appliances during specific periods of the day to save money.
- Take advantage of energy provider discounts by switching retailers today. Many households initially may have chosen their retailer on the basis of a limited-time offer that may have long expired. So, while they may have been paying lower prices to begin with, that may no longer be the case.
Energy Providers in South Australia
AGL
AGL is an integrated energy company that began in 1837, making it one of the oldest companies in Australia. They are now responsible for supplying millions of Australians with electricity and gas. Their enormity enables them to provide customers with a wide range of electricity services, including solar-specific energy plans.
Alinta Energy
Alinta Energy is all about striking the balance of affordability and sustainability so that Australians can enjoy the best of both worlds. They have invested substantially in renewable energy projects, including solar power, battery storage, geothermal energy solutions and major wind farm operations. Additionally, their energy plans are straightforward and easy to understand.
Australian Power and Gas
Australian Power and Gas, which trades under the name Future X Power, provides just one simple and comprehensible energy plan to both residents and businesses. Future X Power’s transparency makes them an accessible energy provider for many. They offer flexible billing and also don’t have any lock-in contracts, meaning you’re free to switch providers at any time.
Dodo Power and Gas
Dodo is now more than just a phone and internet provider; they now offer competitively priced power plans. Dodo aims to provide their customers with simplicity and fairness. Additionally, they offer complete customer control in that there are no lock-in contracts, termination fees, and they offer flexible payments.
Energy Australia
Energy Australia draws upon more than 100 years of history to provide their over 1.7 million customers with clean, reliable and affordable energy. They offer their customers a range of benefits, including offering travel points to customers through their partnership with Velocity Frequent Flyer. Additionally, their customers are able to switch to 100% carbon neutral energy at no extra cost.
Lumo Energy
Lumo Energy is proud to supply almost 400,000 customers with electricity across Australia. At Lumo Energy, they wholeheartedly believe that bigger doesn’t always mean better; that’s why they focus providing the best value possible to their customers. Additionally, Lumo Energy feels strongly about giving back to the community, which is why they regularly partner with organisations to support grassroots initiatives.
Momentum Energy
Momentum Energy is committed to offering great energy rates and exceptional customer service to both residential and business customers. Their commitment to sustainability is evidenced by the fact that, since 2009, they have been owned by Hydro Tasmania, which is the largest producer of renewable energy in Australia. Additionally, Momentum Energy has become a favourite amongst customers for their transparency and low energy rates.
Origin
Origin is one of the largest energy providers in the country with more than four million residential and business customers. Origin’s expansiveness allows them to draw upon a wealth of knowledge and resources to provide their customers with a wide range of energy products and services at a competitive price point.
OVO Energy
OVO Energy, which hails from the UK, offers a unique approach to energy retailing; they offer just a single energy plan of which a key feature is ‘bill smoothing’. This means that each month customers pay the same price for their energy. The amount they pay is determined on factors such as household size and previous energy bills.
Powerdirect
Powerdirect specialises in providing simplified energy plans to businesses. In particular, one of their main selling points is that they are able to offer customers with operations on multiple sites the ability to manage their energy in a single bill. Supported by AGL, one of the largest and oldest energy companies in Australia, Powerdirect is able to draw from a wealth of resources to offer their customers competitive rates.
Powershop
Powershop has been named the greenest energy company in the nation for three years in a row by Greenpeace. With Powershop, all energy that customers use is 100% carbon offset at no extra cost. Their wide range of power plan means that there is something for everyone, no matter what your budget or needs are. Additionally, Powershop regularly offers special deals via their online store and app.
Red Energy
Red Energy, which was founded in 2004, provide both residential and business customers with competitive energy solutions. Red Energy is a 100% Australian owned company and has been nationally recognised for their innovation and commitment to sustainable energy. As well as simple and straightforward plans, Red Energy’s partnership with Qantas enables customers to gain reward points.
ENGIE
ENGIE have been providing their customers with straightforward and affordable energy plans since 2005. They aim to help their customers feel more empowered by enabling them to feel more in control of their energy usage and plans. Simple Energy has partnered with several Australian organisations to provide their customer with additional benefits.
Learn More About Energy in South Australia
Deregulation of Electricity Industry in South Australia
Residents of South Australia are able to enjoy the benefits of a deregulated electricity industry. On 18 December 2012, the South Australian Government announced its decision to deregulate the energy retail market in South Australia. Deregulation of the electricity industry means that private companies are able to enter the market and have the ability to set their own tariff rates and market offers.
Deregulation is generally considered to be a good thing as the increased competition tends to drive electricity rates down as companies compete for new customers. As well as lowered rated, deregulation also encourages companies to offer discounts and package deals in order to give them a competitive edge.
South Australia Energy Concessions
The South Australian Government offers concessions to eligible residents to help with the cost of their energy bills. Primarily, these concessions are:
- Energy Bill Concessions for low- or fixed-income South Australians, enabling them to receive up to $226.67 to cover electricity and gas bills
- Medical Heating and Cooling Concession for low- or fixed-income South Australians who have a clinically verified medical condition that necessitates the heating or cooling of the home to prevent the worsening of the condition
Smart Meters
Since 2017, smart meters have been installed in residences across South Australia. Smart meters work by recording your energy usage every 30 minutes and sending this information to your energy supplier, who in turn makes it available to you through an online platform or app.
As such, smart meters are able to provide you and your energy provider with comprehensive data regarding your energy use as well as informing your provider of the quality of your power, meaning they can tell if you are experience a power outage.
Electricity Tariffs and Charges in South Australia
There are two types of charges when it comes to billing for energy use in South Australia, both of which will vary depending upon your electricity provider:
- Supply Charges – The set cost that you pay for being part of the electricity grid; this cost stays the same no matter how much or little energy you use
- Usage Charges – The cost that you pay for the amount of energy you use, which is charged at cents per kilowatt-hour.
- Feed-in tariff – For homes with solar panels, you can receive credit for the excess power your panels feed into the grid
Additionally, you are able to choose from different tariffs when selecting your energy plan. It’s worth nothing that different types of tariffs are more suitable for some household than others, which is why installing a smart meter can help determine which tariff is best for you:
- Single Rate Tariff – Charges a flat rate for all energy consumed, no matter what time of day it is
- Demand Tariff – A demand tariff (AKA a capacity charge) is a component of electricity billing where the daily charge is set by the highest power demand in a specific time period. For example, between 3pm and 9pm. Demand charges are charged either per kW per day or kVA per day.
- Controlled Load Tariff – A controlled load tariff is applied to a large appliance in your home like a hot water service, slab or pool heater, which receives electricity on its own circuit and might or might not be separately metered. These sorts of appliances generally pull large, steady amounts of electrical current at certain times of the day, usually overnight.
Electricity Distribution Networks in South Australia
Unlike many other Australian states, South Australia is powered by a single electricity distribution network, SA Power Networks.
Default Market Offer
A mandatory Electricity Retail Code began on 1 July 2019. It has new rules for retailers in states or regions where there is no regulated price for electricity. The Code sets an annual price cap in each region – this cap is called the default market offer (DMO) price. It protects consumers on standing offers from paying excessive prices by ensuring retailers cannot charge customers more than this price. The DMO is currently set in NSW, QLD and SA.
The annual DMO price is based on a set amount of electricity usage. Retailers can set different rates, as long as they don’t exceed the annual price for that consumption level. The Code says that retailers in these regions must compare all their offers to the same base rate (the ‘reference price’) whenever they advertise or market their offers. The reference price is set at the same price as the DMO price cap.
Average Electricity Bill in Adelaide, South Australia
According to the Australian Energy Regulator and based on figures from DMO set in July 2019, the average annual expenditure for residents of Adelaide, South Australia is $1941 which equates to about $37.22 weekly.
It is worth keeping in mind that this is just an average and that your individual bill will be dependent on your specific circumstances, such as the size of your household and the appliances that you use.