Best Electricity Providers in Australia

Choosing the “best” electricity provider in Australia is a personal choice, and depends on what “best” means for your household and lifestyle. For many, the best electricity provider is one with the cheapest energy rates to save you money, but others might think the best electricity provider is the one with the best rated customer service, or the best solar feed-in-tariff. No matter what you define as “best”, you can find a breakdown of electricity providers within the Australian National Electricity Market that might be defined as the “best” to help you compare and switch to the best deal for you.

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Who is the best electricity provider in Australia?

“Best” is a subjective measurement, and the best electricity provider for you might not be the best for someone else. If you live in the National Electricity Market, you can compare energy providers and switch to a better plan, whenever you want. This means that most Australians living within the market have ample choice and freedom when it comes to finding the best electricity provider in Australia, and if their choice in provider is no longer offering them a good deal, they can switch again.

• States with full energy retail contestability
• New South Wales
• Victoria
• South Australia
• South-East Queensland

Within the National Electricity Market, those living in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and South-East Queensland have full retail contestability available to them, while those in the ACT and Tasmania have more limited options available. Outside of the NEM, only natural gas is contestable in Western Australia, and the Northern Territory, while deregulated, has yet to see full contestability implemented.

Cheapest electricity in Australia

For many, lowering their energy bills and saving money is top priority, and choosing a cheap electricity provider with big discounts and low rates is the easiest way to achieve this. If your idea of the best electricity provider in Australia is also the cheapest, you can find more information below.

Best rated electricity in Australia

It’s often the case that we’re not always happy with our utility providers; whether that's energy, internet, or whatever else you might need in your home. It’s also a fact that we’re often more likely to post a review about a negative experience over a positive one, so finding highly rated energy providers can be difficult. Below, we’ve compiled the top-rated electricity providers in Australia, from reviews found across the web, so you can choose an electricity provider that will go above and beyond and ensure that when things go wrong the issue is addressed and fixed as efficiently as possible.

Best solar feed-in-tariffs in Australia

While many choose an energy provider with low rates, or big discounts, if you have solar you might be more interested in a solar feed-in-tariff. Most energy providers either offer a steep discount, or high solar feed-in-tariff, and choosing which is best for you is a matter of your personal lifestyle and energy habits. In general though, if you have a solar PV system over 5kW and don’t consume much energy during the day, you might be better off with a higher solar FiT. Below, we outline not only the energy providers with the best solar FiT, but also the best solar energy plans you can sign up for, helping you save even more.

Best plans for solar energy

Most energy providers offer a solar feed-in-tariff, so no matter your plan you’ll generate something for the solar you export to the grid. A few energy providers, however, offer more than the standard solar feed-in-tariff, available through their solar energy electricity plans. Here you can find some of the best solar energy plans on the market, if you’re interested in maximising your solar returns.

Origin Energy Solar Boost Plus

Origin Energy offers between 6c - 10c per kWh solar FiT on all their standard energy plans. If you’re interested in investing in solar energy, however, customers who choose to purchase and install solar panels with Origin Energy could get between 18c - 22c per kWh with their Solar Boost Plus plan. For those who already have solar panels, though, Origin Energy Solar Boost offers up to 15c/kWh for exported solar energy.

AGL Solar Savers

AGL is one of the few energy providers that not only offers an above average solar feed-in-tariff but also an additional discount off the reference price. Customers who opt for AGL Solar Savers can get up to 17c/kWh for their solar export, in addition to a 2-3% additional discount off the reference price.

Diamond Energy GridCredits100

While not exactly a solar energy plan, Diamond Energy offers its customers with battery storage a special GridCredits100 program. With GridCredits100, during certain times of the year, Diamond Energy will release all electricity stored in your solar battery storage system at 100c/kWh. The number of GridCredit100 events depends on a number of factors including demand on the energy grid and during the rest of the year you will receive Diamond Energy’s standard solar FiT.

ReAmped Solar

ReAmped Solar is available to customers in New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia, offering between 17c and 21c per kWh (for the first 5kWh exported) to households with solar panels. If you’re looking for a bigger discount while still getting something for your solar, however, ReAmped Advanced offers some of the cheapest electricity rates on the market, with a lower feed-in-tariff.

Best solar feed-in-tariff in Australia by state

If you’re just shopping around for a new energy provider that offers a competitive solar feed-in-tariff, you can find the best electricity provider solar feed-in-tariffs by state, below.

Biggest electricity providers in Australia: AGL, EnergyAustralia, Origin Energy

While there are over 30 different electricity providers in the National Electricity Market in Australia, there are three energy providers that are household names. The Big Three, which is composed of AGL, EnergyAustralia, and Origin Energy, hold over 60% of the energy market share combined. Below, we outline The Big Three’s energy plans, so you can see if one of these household names is the best electricity provider for you.