Essential Energy runs one of the largest electricity networks in the country by area, covering regional, rural and remote New South Wales. Because a distributor is a regulated monopoly tied to your address, you cannot choose it, but you can still understand what it does, how to report an outage and how network charges shape your bill.
24/7
faults line
13 20 80
outages & emergencies
NSW
network area
Yes
retailer choice
Everything Essential
Jump to what you need: report or track a power outage, understand network charges on your bill, find the faults line, or compare retailers.
How it works
Your electricity bill involves two different companies. Knowing which is which saves you calling the wrong number in a blackout.
Owns the poles, wires, substations and meters across New South Wales. It connects your home, reads your meter, and restores power after a fault. You cannot choose or switch it: it is a regulated monopoly for your address.
Sells you the electricity, sets your plan and rates, and sends your bill. You can compare and switch retailers at any time, which is the part of your bill you control.
Essential Energy is the regulated electricity distributor for Regional, rural and remote New South Wales (about 95% of the state by area), plus parts of southern Queensland. Not sure if Essential is your distributor? It is printed on your electricity bill, or you can check by postcode on its website.
Other New South Wales networks: Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy .
In a blackout, your retailer cannot help: it does not own the wires. Report the outage to Essential Energy on its 24/7 faults line 13 20 80. If life is at risk or a powerline is down, call 000 first.
Full outage steps & safetyCommon questions
Essential Energy runs one of the largest electricity networks in the country by area, covering regional, rural and remote New South Wales. It owns the poles, wires, substations and meters in its area and is responsible for connecting your home and restoring power after a fault. It does not sell you electricity, that is your retailer.
Essential Energy is the electricity distributor for Regional, rural and remote New South Wales (about 95% of the state by area), plus parts of southern Queensland. Your distributor is fixed by your address, so you cannot switch it.
Call the Essential Energy 24/7 faults and emergencies line on 13 20 80, or check its outage map at essentialenergy.com.au. If a powerline is down or life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000) first. See our Essential outages page for the full steps.
You cannot switch your distributor, it is a regulated monopoly for your address. You can switch your retailer (the company on your bill) at any time, which is the part of your bill you control. Essential Energy keeps running the network whoever you buy from.
Essential Energy pays an automatic Guaranteed Service Level (GSL) credit when your interruptions exceed the set thresholds for a financial year. The credit is paid automatically through your retailer, usually without a claim. See our power outage guide for how the scheme works.
For bills, plans, payments and moving home, contact your retailer (the company that sends your bill), not Essential Energy. Contact Essential Energy only for connections, meters, outages and network faults. See the contact page.
Network charges are fixed by your distributor, but they are only part of your bill. The retailer's energy and supply charges are the part you control. Compare retailers that supply your address to find a cheaper plan.
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