Energy Explained

We are really excited to have you as a customer, but first, your current retailer needs to have a final reading of your meter. Once they’ve done that, you’ll officially start getting your electricity from us!

The meter reading will be arranged by your distributor and usually takes two to six week, but in some cases could take up to three months, depending on where you live and when your meter is read.

If you have any questions about your transfer to Smart Energy, please get in touch!

Smart Energy currently supplies electricity in NSW (Ausgrid network) only.

In the coming months we plan to expand our supply area to  Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Australian Capital Territory as well.

There is a ten day cooling off period from the day you switch over to us.

If you’re a Smart Energy customer and are moving house, the current agreement we have will expire.
Just get in touch and let us know where you’re moving to and we’ll make sure that we set you up with a new Smart Energy plan when you get there!

If you’re not a current Smart Energy customer, get in touch and we’ll find the best plan for your new address.

All you need to do is let us know at least 5 business days before the move.

Alternatively, you can send us an email to [email protected] and one of our representatives will get in touch as soon as possible.

If you need assistance with understanding your bill, please call us on 1300 133 055 or email your questions to [email protected] - Our team is more than happy to break the bill down with you and make sure you know how to read it.

You can find your past Smart Energy bills by logging in to your customer portal. Alternatively, you can call us on 1300 133 055.

An estimated reading can only happen with Basic Meters.
These meters generally get read every three months by the distributor in your area. The meter reader needs to have easy and safe access to your meter. If the meter reader can’t access your meter, the distributor will estimate how much electricity you’ve used in the last quarter. Generally these estimations are made based on usage history at your address. If the estimation is incorrect, it will be amended when the next actual meter reading is made.

Some of the reasons for an estimated reading can be a dog at the address, a locked gate, a locked meter box or anything that restricts access to the meter.
If you have received an estimated meter reading, just make sure that there is clear access to the meter when the next reading is scheduled (three months from the date of the last reading).

Receiving an unexpectedly high bill isn’t fun. There are many potential reasons for that, such as:

• Faulty electrical appliances drawing more power than before
• Moving into a bigger house
• Installing things like a swimming pool, spa or sauna
• More people living in the house than usual

You should always compare your usage to the equivalent time last year, rather than the last bill.

If you would like some advice on how to reduce your energy expenses, check out our energy efficiency support page or get in touch on 1300 133 055.

Smart Energy wants to make sure we provide all the support we possibly can to make things easier for you.
If you are struggling to afford your current electricity bill or if you are worried you will have a hard time paying a future bill, please let us know as early as possible.

At Smart Energy, we’ve got staff members who have been specifically trained to handle situations like this and are happy to provide assistance - Just call us on 1300 133 055.

We also recommend having a look at our hardship policy in order to find out more about your options.

Possibly, though it depends on the circumstances of the request.
The best way to find out is to call us.

This can happen for one of the following reasons:

• You have used less electricity than what you paid for;
• The electricity generated by your solar panels; or
• We’ve made a credit adjustment or applied a rebate to your bill.

The credit on your current bill will be applied to the next one.

You can find out by visiting our Concessions and Rebates page.

If you’re eligible for a concession and you’ve notified us about it, we will deduct the amount from your bill.

You can find out by visiting our Concessions and Rebates page.

If you’re eligible for a concession and you’ve notified us about it, we will deduct the amount from your bill.

Time of Use tariff means that your electricity rate changes according to the time of the day in which you use electricity.The exact hours of each rate depend on your distributor and the time of the year. We recommend visiting your distributor’s website if you would like to find out your TOU periods.
There are three different rate periods:

• Peak - The most expensive period. Usually, the peak period is in the afternoon.
• Off peak - The cheapest period. Usually, off-peak starts late at night and lasts until the early morning.
• Shoulder - Everything in between peak and off-peak.
  
  

TOU tariff is available to you if you have a Smart Meter. Some digital Basic Meters will also allow you to have TOU.

‘Anytime’ rate, sometimes referred to as a flat or single rate, means that your rate of electricity is the same no matter what time of the day you use it.

‘Controlled Load 1’ and ‘Controlled Load 2’ are tariffs that apply to specific appliances that are permanently wired back to the meter such as hot water heaters or swimming pool pumps. Supply for a controlled load is only available at certain hours during the day, usually late at night. The difference between Controlled Load 1 and 2 is the hours for which supply is available and the price paid. This is determined by the distributor.

Controlled load is measured by a separate meter. If you’re seeing ‘Controlled Load’ on your bill and don’t know why, it could be that someone who lived there before you installed it.

A supply charge is a daily charge which you pay for the supply of electricity to your address. This is a fixed rate which isn’t affected by the amount of electricity you use.
Your supply charge may change according to your plan and your distributor.

There two types of electricity meters - Analog, otherwise known as Basic Meters, and Smart Meters.
Analog meters are the original meters used to measure electricity usage. These meters have a manual dial in them, and some have been replaced by Basic Meters with a digital display. It’s easy to confuse digital Basic Meters with Smart Meters, though Smart Meters are more advanced - Smart Meters can be read remotely in intervals of 15 or 30 minutes, which means that the meter reader doesn’t need to physically come to your address.

Smart meters (and some digital Basic Meters) also allow you to have a Time of Use tariff in your home.

NMI stands for National Meter Identifier. It is a unique number allocated to your electricity meter. The electricity industry uses this number to identify your meter so your power company can bill the correct residential address with the correct meter read. It is 11 digits long and located on your electricity bill – it is not normally written on your meter.