Changing energy providers

The first thing to check is if the plan uses market offer or standing offer electricity prices.

Every provider is legally obligated to have a plan that uses the standing offer - the maximum price charged for electricity under these plans are set by the Australian Energy Regulator. Market offer prices are set by each provider and can be below or above the standing offer.

If you're choosing a market offer plan, it's important to compare it against the standing offer to make sure you're not paying more than you need to.

The next thing to check is the pricing structure for the plan. Electricity pricing can include different elements, such as:

• service or supply charges
• usage charges
• different tariff rates.

Service or supply charges are usually a fixed cost. These charges are to cover the cost of supplying the electricity to your home and maintaining the electricity infrastructure.

Usage charges are charged based on the amount of electricity you use. The electricity you use is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh) or megawatt hours (MWh). A unit price is the price per kWh or MWh. Check your recent bills to see how much electricity you usually use and don't forget you might use more in summer or winter. This will help you compare usage charges.

Depending on what tariff the electricity plan uses, you may be charged different rates on the electricity you use depending on things such as the time of day you used the electricity. Read more advice on tariffs.

When you’re comparing energy providers, check exactly what their plan includes and other terms. Some common terms to check are:

• Fees: find out if there are other fees such as an account set-up fee or an early termination fee.
• Discounts: if the plan offers a discount check if it applies to the total bill or only certain charges and how long the discount applies for.
• Payment options: find out if you can pay your bill using your preferred payment method and if there are any charges for that method. Sometimes companies charge credit card fees or fees for not paying by direct debit.
• Billing: check if their billing cycle matches your needs. Some providers bill monthly rather than quarterly.
• Expiration: some plans are only available for a set time. When your plan expires you may be moved to a plan with higher fees. 

The Energy Made Easy website has a price comparator where you can compare the electricity prices of different Queensland providers in one place. It's run by the Australian government and is free and independent.

Some commercial websites also provide energy contract comparison and switching services. However, be aware that their options may be limited and they may not provide prices for all providers in the market.

If you live in an apartment complex, caravan park, or retirement village you may be in an embedded network. In this case the site owner or operator buys electricity and on-sells it to the residents. This may make it more difficult for you to switch providers. 

• Find out how to access an authorised retailer of your choice if you live in an embedded network.
• Read more advice on embedded networks. 

Electricity providers in regional Queensland are very limited and most customers are with Ergon Energy. Ergon Energy receives a subsidy from the Queensland Government to provide electricity to regional areas. This subsidy ensures regional customers are paying the same as customers in South East Queensland. 

Some larger electricity providers occasionally offer electricity plans to regional areas. As a small customer, if you move to a new electricity provider, and your new provider decides to leave the regional market, you can move back to Ergon Energy as your provider. For business customers who use more than 100 mW of power per year, once you leave Ergon Energy you cannot return to them as your provider. This means you may end up paying very high rates to your new electricity provider who still has to provide you power, even though they do not offer services to other customers.

No matter who your provider is, the Queensland Competition Authority sets the regulated electricity tariffs for regional Queensland each year. However, some providers may offer other benefits and discounts that may be worth exploring.

You will need to give your new energy provider your name and contact details so they can send you bills. They might also ask for identification, such as a drivers licence or another type of photo identification.

Your new provider is allowed to conduct a credit check before they offer you a new contract. You will need to agree to this credit check. If you do not agree to the credit check or have a poor credit history, the provider does not have to offer you a contract.

If you currently receive a rebate or concession on your energy bill you will need to tell your new energy provider. The provider will then credit the rebate to your bill automatically. Read more advice on rebates and concessions.

You may want to add the name of your partner or housemate to your account as an authorised person so they can also speak to your provider about the account.

For your privacy, providers can only talk to you or an authorised person about your account.

The authorised person will not be liable for paying any bills and they will not be able to close an account on your behalf.

The provider might ask you to pay a security deposit if you’ve never held an account with them or had trouble keeping up to date with your bills in the past.

They will refund the security deposit back to you after you’ve paid your bill in full and on time for a while. 

When you sign up with a new energy company, the transfer won’t happen until after your next scheduled meter read. If the transfer happens before your next scheduled meter read, it may mean your final bill is based on estimated usage. You can ask your new provider to delay the transfer to your next scheduled meter read or for them to conduct a special read before they take over your billing rights.

If you have a smart meter a transfer can happen very quickly as your old and new provider will be able to get your meter read and close your account before your next scheduled bill cycle.

If there is a delay in the transfer, the provider must tell you about the delay and the new expected transfer date.

Once the transfer is complete, you should receive a final bill from your old provider. 

If you’ve changed your mind about moving to a new provider, you can cancel your new energy contract without paying any costs during the cooling-off period. This is a 10-day period. If you cancel the contract outside the 10-day period, you may have to pay an early termination fee which, for a small customer account, can be a maximum of $20.