The short answer
Call the retailer; the retailer arranges the connection
Getting connected in Australia is simpler than it looks, but almost everyone gets the mechanics wrong. You do not call the network to switch the power on, and the retailer does not send a technician to your door. Two different companies are involved: the retailer you sign a plan with and who bills you, and the distributor, the poles-and-wires company for your address that physically energises the meter. You contact the retailer; the retailer arranges the connection with the distributor for you. Understanding that split is what lets you connect on time, avoid surprise fees and, because you are choosing a plan anyway, lock the cheapest one in the same phone call.
Here is the core takeaway in one line: to connect electricity in Australia you choose a retailer and a plan, then give that retailer your address and move-in date, and the retailer lodges the connection with your distributor, who physically energises the meter. The retailer is who you deal with and who bills you. The distributor is the regional poles-and-wires company you cannot choose. Because the distributor is a local monopoly, the connection fee and the connection speed are the same whatever retailer you pick, so there is nothing to shop for there. The plan, on the other hand, is fully competitive in most of the country. That is the part worth getting right.
Reframe the assumption: people think "getting connected" is one task you do with one company. It is two jobs split across two companies. Mix them up and you waste time calling the network (who will send you back to a retailer) or assume the retailer controls the timing (the distributor does). Separate the two and the whole process gets simple: pick the plan, hand the dates to the retailer, let the distributor switch you on.
The two companies behind every connection
Your retailer and your distributor do different jobs
One you choose and pay; the other is fixed by your address and physically switches on the power. Knowing which is which is the whole game.
The retailer
Who: the company you sign a plan with, such as the brands you see advertised. They set your rates, send your bill and handle your account. In the competitive states you can pick any retailer you like, and switch whenever you want.
The distributor (DNSP)
Who: the poles-and-wires company for your suburb, such as Ausgrid, Energex or SA Power Networks. They own the network and the meter, physically energise your connection, set the connection fee and drive the timing. You cannot choose them.
You only ever contact the retailer to get connected. The retailer talks to the distributor for you. You deal with the distributor directly only during a power outage or for major site works.
The blind spot
Why "just connect the power" trips people up
Most guides treat getting connected as a single errand. It is not, and the confusion costs people time on moving day.
The first mistake is calling the network. People look up the distributor for their suburb, ring them and ask to turn the power on. The distributor cannot help a residential mover directly: they only act on a request from a retailer. You get sent back to square one, having lost an afternoon.
The second is assuming the retailer controls the timing. A retailer can lodge your connection in minutes, but it is the distributor that schedules the actual energisation. If you ask for same-day power late in the afternoon, no retailer can override the distributor’s cut-off. The lever you have is to ask early, not to push harder.
The third is shopping for connection on the wrong thing. People compare retailers hoping for a cheaper connection. But the connection fee is a distributor charge, identical for your address no matter who you sign with. The retailer just passes it through. What is actually competitive is the plan price, and that is where the real money is.
How a connection actually works
Expert analysis: new connection versus re-energisation
Re-energising an existing connection is the fast path
Most moves are a re-energisation: the home already has a meter and a live connection that was switched off when the last occupant left. Here the distributor just energises the existing connection, which is quick and often cheap. Standard service usually needs about one business day of notice through your retailer, and same-day connection is frequently possible if the request reaches the distributor before its early-afternoon cut-off on a business day. Some smart meters can even be switched on remotely, with no technician visit and no fee.
A brand-new connection is a bigger job
A new connection is different: a new build, a subdivision or a site that has never been connected. The distributor has to install and energise a meter, which takes longer and costs more, and it can involve the builder or an electrician. If you are moving into a freshly built home, treat the timing as weeks, not days, and ask your retailer to confirm the distributor’s lead time well ahead.
The fee is a distributor charge, not a retailer one
This is the piece people miss. Any connection fee is set by the distributor and reviewed by the Australian Energy Regulator, then passed straight through by your retailer. A remote re-energisation can be free; a same-day or technician visit is commonly up to around $100; a full new connection is more again. The number depends on your distributor and the type of connection, not on which retailer you choose. That is exactly why you cannot save money by shopping retailers on the connection itself.
Gas connection follows the same logic
If your home uses gas, the same split applies: a gas retailer signs you up, and a gas distributor energises the gas meter. You can connect gas with the same retailer as your electricity on a dual-fuel plan, or use separate providers. As with electricity, the gas connection fee is a distributor charge. For the full gas walk-through, see our guide on setting up the gas supply.
Moving home, step by step
What to do, and when, when you move
Arrange it a few business days ahead. Connections happen on business days only, never weekends or public holidays.
Pick your plan
In the competitive states, compare retailers and lock the cheapest plan for your area. You have to choose a plan to connect, so make it a good one. This is the only step where you save real money.
Call the retailer
Contact your chosen retailer with the address, your move-in date and the date you want power on. Have ID ready for a credit check. The retailer lodges the connection with your distributor.
Distributor energises
The distributor schedules and switches on the meter. Re-energisation of an existing connection is fast: same-day or next business day is common if you ask early. A new build takes longer.
Close out the old address
If you are moving within Australia, tell your old retailer your move-out date so they disconnect and send a final bill. Photograph both meters so you can check your first and final bills.
Running late? If you forgot to arrange the connection, contact your retailer straight away and ask for an urgent or same-day connection. For an existing connection it is often possible if the request reaches the distributor before its afternoon cut-off, though a higher distributor fee can apply. There is also a 10 business day cooling-off period on any new energy contract, so if you rushed the plan choice you can still change your mind. To stop the sales calls that often follow a switch, see the do not call register.
Distributors by state and territory
Who physically connects your meter
Your distributor is set by where you live, not by your retailer. The last column shows where you can also choose your retailer.
| State or territory | Distributor(s) | Choose your retailer? |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy | Yes (NEM) |
| Victoria | CitiPower, Powercor, Jemena, United Energy, AusNet Services | Yes (NEM) |
| Queensland | Energex (south-east), Ergon Energy (regional) | Yes (NEM) |
| South Australia | SA Power Networks | Yes (NEM) |
| Tasmania | TasNetworks | Yes (NEM) |
| ACT | Evoenergy | Yes (NEM) |
| Western Australia | Western Power (and Horizon Power, regional) | No (Synergy only) |
| Northern Territory | Power and Water (Jacana Energy retails) | No (one provider) |
In Western Australia (Synergy) and the Northern Territory (Power and Water, with Jacana Energy retailing), there is no retail competition, so there is no plan to shop for: you connect with the one provider for your area.
Pick your plan when you connect
The cheapest plan in each state right now
You choose a plan to get connected anyway, so choose the cheapest. One card per state: the single cheapest single-rate plan on each state’s main metropolitan network, costed on 5,000 kWh a year, GST included. Last verified 11/07/2026.
Benchmarked at 5,000 kWh. Your own usage changes the winner, so compare on your real usage before you sign. Connection fees and timing are the same whichever you pick.
What getting it wrong costs
How a connection slip-up becomes a money or timing problem
The retailer-versus-distributor confusion is not academic. It shows up as lost days and lost dollars on moving week:
They lose a day calling the wrong company
Someone rings the distributor to turn the power on, gets told to contact a retailer, then has to start the plan choice from scratch. With the request lodged too late, the home stays dark on the first night. Knowing to call the retailer first removes the whole detour.
They settle for a default plan to connect fast
In a rush, people sign with whoever connects quickest and accept a standing-offer or default plan. Connection speed is set by the distributor and is the same across retailers, so they gave up a cheaper plan for nothing. The fast and the cheap retailer are not in conflict.
They pay for an avoidable urgent connection
Leaving it to the last afternoon forces a same-day distributor fee that a day or two of notice would have avoided. The charge is a distributor cost, so no retailer can waive it. A little lead time is free; urgency is not.
They double-pay the old address
Forgetting to tell the old retailer the move-out date means the old account keeps billing after you leave. Arranging disconnection at the old place and connection at the new place together closes that gap.
The insider insight
You cannot shop the connection, so shop the plan
Here is the part the moving checklists never spell out. Because the distributor is a regional monopoly, the two things you might want to compare on a connection, the fee and the speed, are fixed for your address. No retailer can beat them, and no retailer can be slower or faster. They all lodge the same request with the same distributor. So the connection is not a competitive decision at all.
The non-obvious Australian truth: getting connected forces you to choose a retailer and a plan, and that choice is fully competitive in the National Electricity Market. People treat connection as the task and the plan as an afterthought, when it is the other way round. The connection will happen at the distributor’s fee and the distributor’s pace whatever you do. The plan you lock at the same moment can cost you, or save you, hundreds a year. Spend your effort there.
The practical move is simple but rarely done: before you call any retailer to connect, compare plans for your address and decide which one you want. Then make a single call that both connects the power and locks the cheapest plan. You were going to choose a retailer anyway, so choose well.
Grounded in the analysis
What you should actually do
Specific steps that follow from how connection really works, not generic advice.
Compare the plan first, connect second
Before you ring anyone, compare retailers for your new address and pick the cheapest plan. You must choose a plan to connect, so do it deliberately. This is the only step where the money is competitive.
Give the retailer your dates, a few days ahead
Contact your chosen retailer with the address, move-in date and connection date, with ID ready for a credit check. Arrange it a few business days early so a quick re-energisation can land on time.
Treat fees and speed as fixed by the distributor
Do not chase a cheaper or faster connection across retailers: the distributor sets both for your address. Confirm whether it is a re-energisation or a new build, and close your old account to avoid double bills.
One state caveat that matters: you can only choose a cheaper plan when you connect if your state has retail competition. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and Tasmania let you choose your retailer and plan. In Western Australia (Synergy) and the Northern Territory (Power and Water) there is no retail competition, so connection is simply a matter of contacting the one provider for your area and arranging the date.
Current figures, last updated 2026-06-15
Australian connection and market benchmarks for 2026. Sources: the Australian Energy Regulator (aer.gov.au), the Essential Services Commission (esc.vic.gov.au) and distributor fees-and-charges schedules. Live plan prices above come from current retailer offers. Connection fees vary by distributor and connection type, so confirm your distributor’s current schedule before relying on a figure.
The bottom line
Why this matters right now
With the DMO 2026-27 and a lower Victorian Default Offer both landing on 1 July 2026, retailers will be competing hard for new customers, which is exactly the moment a mover holds the most leverage. The households who come out ahead are not the ones who rush a connection with the first retailer who answers. They are the ones who understand the split: the distributor will energise the meter at a fixed fee and a fixed pace no matter what, so the only real decision is the plan. Compare plans for your new address, then make one call that both connects the power and locks the cheapest plan. Get the mechanics right and you connect on time and start saving from day one.
Common questions
A Selectra expert answers your connection questions
Pick a retailer and a plan, then contact that retailer (online or by phone) with the address, your move-in date and the date you want the power on. The retailer does the rest: it lodges a connection request with the distributor for that address, and the distributor energises the meter. You never contact the network yourself. If the property already has an active connection that was switched off, this is a simple re-energisation, which is fast. If it is a brand-new build with no meter, it is a full new connection and takes longer.
For an existing connection that just needs switching back on, re-energisation is quick: standard service usually needs about one business day of notice, and same-day connection is often possible if your retailer lodges the request before early afternoon on a business day. As a rule, arrange it a few business days ahead to be safe. A brand-new connection (a new build, or a site never connected before) takes longer because the distributor has to install and energise a meter. Connections are done on business days, not weekends or public holidays.
Your retailer, not the network. The retailer is the company you sign a plan with and who sends your bill. You give them the address and dates, and they arrange the connection with the distributor for you. The distributor (the poles-and-wires company for your area) is the one that physically energises the meter, but you do not deal with them directly for a standard move. The only time you would speak to the distributor is during a power outage or for major site works.
The retailer sells you the plan, sets your rates and sends your bill. You can choose your retailer freely in the competitive states. The distributor (or DNSP) owns the poles, wires and meter for your address, physically delivers the power and energises the meter. You cannot choose your distributor: it is a regional monopoly fixed by where you live. Connection fees and connection timing are driven by the distributor, while the plan price is driven by the retailer you pick.
Often there is, and it is set by the distributor, not the retailer. For an existing connection, re-energisation can be free when the meter is switched on remotely, or a modest charge (commonly up to around $100) for a same-day or technician visit. A brand-new connection costs more because a meter has to be installed. Crucially, the same address gets the same distributor fee no matter which retailer you choose, so you cannot shop around on the connection fee. The retailer simply passes the distributor charge through to you.
In most of Australia, yes. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and Tasmania are part of the National Electricity Market, so you can choose your retailer and plan. In Western Australia there is one retailer (Synergy) for most homes, and in the Northern Territory there is effectively one provider (Power and Water, with Jacana Energy retailing), so there is no plan to shop for. Where you do have a choice, moving is the ideal moment to lock in the cheapest plan, because you have to choose one to get connected anyway.
