$50 Power Saving Bonus Program - FAQ's

What is the $50 incentive?
The Power Saving Bonus will provide all Victorian households a once-off $50 incentive if they seek out a better energy deal on the Victorian Government's Victorian Energy Compare website until midnight on 30 June 2020.
What do people need to do to be eligible?
To be eligible to claim the Power Saving Bonus online, Victorians must be able to meet the following eligibility criteria.

You must have a residential electricity bill and be the account holder for that bill

You must be able to receive your bonus payment via mail at the address of your energy service.

From when is the one-off $50 Power Saving Bonus available?
The Power Saving Bonus Program will run until midnight on 30 June 2020. Claims for the bonus can be made at any stage during this period.
What will consumers need to claim the bonus?
The easiest way for electricity customers to submit a claim for the Power Saving Bonus is to upload a recent electricity bill so the claim can be validated.
What happens if they can’t get a copy of a recent electricity bill?
If a consumer cannot provide the electronic version of their bill which was provided to them by their electricity retailer, they will have to provide the following information manually:

Account name

Account number

National Metering Identifier (NMI)*

Meter serial number

Service address

*If you don’t have an NMI, you may be in an embedded network. Embedded networks are private electricity networks that serve multiple premises and are located within, or connected to, a distribution or transmission system through a parent connection in the National Electricity Market (NEM). Examples typically include apartment blocks, retirement villages, caravan parks and shopping centres.
What happens if a consumer has not received their cheque before the program closes?
All claims that are submitted before midnight on 30 June will be processed and a cheque will be sent to the service address provided in the claim.
Can a consumer still claim post 30 June?
The program closes to consumers on 30 June and no new claims will be processed post this date.
How can a consumer know the status of their claim?
You can email info.vec@delwp.vic.gov.au to find out how your claim is progressing.
Can I claim $50 for electricity and then another $50 for gas?
The $50 Power Saving Bonus is limited to one payment per household.
If I don't have an electricity service at my house, how can I claim with a gas bill?
An online claim for the $50 Power Saving Bonus can only be completed with the information from an electricity bill. If you don't have an electricity service at the property, you can still claim the $50 bonus, but you will need to email info.vec@delwp.vic.gov.au to request information on how to submit your claim.
What if I live in an embedded network?
If you live in an embedded network and have an electricity account, you will still be eligible to claim. To claim the Power Saving Bonus, you may need to upload supporting documents. This may include a copy of your driver's licence or other supporting evidence.
What is an embedded network?
Embedded networks are private electricity networks that serve multiple premises and are located within, or connected to, a distribution or transmission system through a parent connection in the National Electricity Market (NEM). Examples typically include apartment blocks, retirement villages, caravan parks and shopping centres.
How will I know my details won't get used for something else?
You will be asked to supply certain information for the purposes of determining estimated energy costs and implementing the Government's Power Saving Bonus Program. Any such information that you supply will only be used for these purposes and any such information that is personal information will be held and used in accordance with our privacy policy.

Victorian Default Offer - FAQ's

What is the Victorian Default Offer?
The Victorian Default Offer is a fair price for electricity that all Victorian electricity retailers will be required to offer to households and small businesses from 1 July 2019. The Victorian Default Offer will replace costly standing offers. The Victorian Government is making the electricity market simpler and more affordable for all consumers.
Am I eligible for the Victorian Default Offer?
The Victorian Default Offer for electricity will be available to all Victorian households from 1 July 2019, other than those living in a property serviced by an ‘embedded network’.

If you are living in an apartment block, retirement home or caravan park, you may be receiving electricity through an embedded network. You can check whether electricity at your address is supplied by an embedded network at this public register http://www.esc.vic.gov.au/energy-licence-exemptions.
How do I receive the Victorian Default Offer?
Customers on simple standing offers will automatically be on the Victorian Default Offer on 1 July 2019. You can also opt-in to the Victorian Default Offer by asking your electricity retailer to move you onto the Victorian Default Offer from 1 July 2019. If you are unsure whether you are on a standing offer or not, call your retailer and ask about the Victorian Default Offer.
Is the Victorian Default Offer better than my current deal?
The Victorian Default Offer is a fair price for energy – but not necessary the best price. Victorian households can compare the tariffs on their electricity bill to those in the table below to decide whether the Victorian Default Offer may be better than their current deal. You can find your electricity distribution zone by inputting your address into this website https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/electricity/electricity-distributors.
How do I know what’s the best deal for me?
From 1 July 2019, retailers will be required to inform customers on their electricity bill of their ‘best offer’ that suits a customer’s circumstances. Customers should contact their electricity retailer to ensure that the plan they are currently on suits their circumstances. From 1 July 2019 this could be the Victorian Default Offer, or it could be a different plan that offers a better deal.
What else can I do to pay the best energy price?
The Victorian Government encourages customers to shop around, especially through the Victorian Energy Compare website, to find the best energy offers available that suit their circumstances.

Victorian Energy Compare is a government-operated website that helps households and small businesses find and compare the best energy offers. Visit compare.energy.vic.gov.au.
I am on a “time of use” or flexible tariff. Is there a Victorian Default Offer for these types of tariffs?
It is intended that the first Victorian Default Offer from July 2019 to January 2020 will be for flat tariffs and controlled load tariffs only. From 1 January 2020, the Victorian Default Offer will replace all standing offers.
How often will the Victorian Default Offer price change?
The Victorian Government has set the Victorian Default Offer to apply from 1 July 2019. The government has tasked the independent state economic regulator, the Essential Services Commission, with annually setting the Victorian Default Offer starting from 1 January 2020.
Does the Victorian Default Offer affect feed-in-tariffs for solar customers?
The Victorian Default Offer is available to solar customers and does not affect feed-in-tariffs.
I am a hardship customer — how do I know I’m getting the best deal possible?
New rules have been in effect from 1 January 2019 that require retailers to provide assistance to all customers facing payment difficulty including tailored assistance specific to your circumstances to help you manage your bills.

Customers should contact their electricity retailer to ensure that the plan they are currently on suits their circumstances. From 1 July 2019 this could be the Victorian Default Offer, or it could be a different plan that offers a better deal.

The Department of Health and Human Services also provides resources for hardship customers on their website. Visit https://services.dhhs.vic.gov.au/energy.
Further questions?
We have answered common questions which small businesses may ask about the Victorian Default Offer. Visit https://energy.vic.gov.au/victoriandefaultoffer.

If we have not answered your question, or you would like further information on the Victorian Default Offer, contact the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning on 136 186 or email us at retailmarket.reform@delwp.vic.gov.au.

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Welcome to Victorian Energy Compare

An independent Victorian Government energy price comparison site

To get the most out of this tool, you need a recent energy bill or smart meter data file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about energy, try our quiz!

Get started

What are you looking to compare?

Electricity Offers

Gas Offers

Solar Savings

To compare both electricity and gas select an energy type on this screen and then add the other energy type when you get to the Available Offers screen.

Where do you need your energy?

Home

I have a recent bill

I'm moving (so I don't have a bill)

Small Business

Select small business if you are on a business plan, not a residential plan. This information will be on your bill.

Small Business support not available on mobile devices. Please access the site from a desktop computer or laptop.

Have you been at your address for the last 12 months?

Yes No

Who is your current retailer?

What is your postcode?

There are multiple distributors that supply electricity for the postcode you have provided. Please confirm the correct distributor has been selected. If you have a bill handy, you can do this by matching the telephone number below to the faults and emergencies telephone number on your bill.

CitiPower (1300 301 101 / 13 12 80)
Jemena (1300 131 871 / 131 626)
Powercor (13 22 06 / 13 24 12)
AusNet Services (1300 360 795 / 13 17 99)
United Energy (1300 131 689 / 132 099)

There are multiple distributors that supply gas for the postcode you have provided. Please confirm the correct distributor has been selected. If you have a bill handy, you can do this by matching the telephone number below to the faults and emergencies telephone number on your bill.

Australian Gas Networks ((03) 9463 8222)
AusNet Services (136 707)
Multinet Gas (132 691)
Enwave (1800 760 771)

There are multiple gas distribution zones for the postcode you have provided. You can confirm the correct zone by calling the distributor.

CitiPower - All
Jemena - All
Powercor - All
AusNet Services - All
United Energy - All
Australian Gas Networks - Bairnsdale
Australian Gas Networks - North
Australian Gas Networks - Mildura
Australian Gas Networks - Murry
Australian Gas Networks - Central
AusNet Services - Adjoining Central
AusNet Services - Adjoining West
AusNet Services - Central
AusNet Services - West
Multinet Gas - Yarra Valley Extension
Multinet Gas - South Gippsland Extension
Multinet Gas - Melbourne Metropolitan Area
Enwave - All

Did you know? Your distributor, Powercor, now has a customer web portal which allows you to view your smart meter data and send it directly to Victorian Energy Compare. .

Did you know? Your distributor, CitiPower, now has a customer web portal which allows you to view your smart meter data and send it directly to Victorian Energy Compare. .

Did you know? Your distributor, Ausnet Services, now has a customer web portal which allows you to send your smart meter data directly to Victorian Energy Compare, allowing for the most accurate comparisons. .

Consumers outside Victoria can compare electricity and gas offers at the Energy Made Easy website.

How would you like to build your energy usage profile?

Get my data for me

Upload a data file

Complete an energy questionnaire

If you are unsure, select ‘Complete an energy questionnaire’

What is your NMI?

Collection Statement

Read the full collection statement

I have read and agree to the collection statement.

By agreeing to the collection statement and providing your NMI, we can retrieve your smart meter data and provide you with more accurate results.

Skip this step

Information from your smart meter, such as how much energy you use and what time of day, will help create an accurate energy usage profile.

This will be used to accurately estimate what each energy retailer’s offer will cost you, based on precisely how much electricity you use day to day.

Do you have a smart meter data file to upload?

Yes No

Upload your smart meter file to proceed:

Where did you get the file?

Upload your file:

Browse

Do you currently receive an energy concession?

Yes No Am I eligible?

Do you have solar panels that generate electricity?

Yes No

What is your solar feed-in tariff type?

For the best results, please confirm your feed-in tariff type with your retailer.
The rates shown are examples and yours may differ.

Feed-in tariff type:

What is the capacity of the solar panels?

Disclaimer Agreement

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Terms and conditions for use of Victorian Energy Compare

Main things you should know:

You are responsible for ensuring that information you provide is accurate and complete, as this will affect your results.
Information provided by Victorian Energy Compare about your future energy usage (and, where you do not provide past usage data, your past and current usage) is a guide only.
Not all energy offers available to you may be displayed on Victorian Energy Compare.
You should make your own inquiries about energy plans that are suited to your needs and not rely on the information in Victorian Energy Compare.

Application and amendment of these terms and conditions
Your use of Victorian Energy Compare website is governed by these terms and conditions. By accessing and using Victorian Energy Compare, you agree to be bound by and abide by these terms and conditions. The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time.

Your use of Victorian Energy Compare
You are entitled to, using a generally recognised web browser, download and view the content of this website and use Victorian Energy Compare for the purpose of obtaining information about your own household's or small business's energy consumption and generally available energy offers that may be available to cater to your needs. This does not include obtaining information about the energy consumption and needs of others in order to advise them.

You must not use Victorian Energy Compare:

for any purpose that is unlawful or infringes any rights of the State of Victoria, its agents, instrumentalities or employees (together, the State) or a third party; or
to breach or circumvent or attempt to breach or circumvent the security of this website (including hacking) or engage in any other malicious, illegal or damaging behaviour in relation to this website.

Reliance on Victorian Energy Compare
If you upload or otherwise use usage data provided by your energy retailer or distributor for the purposes of using Victorian Energy Compare, the energy company (and you, if you make any changes to the data), not the State, is responsible for the accuracy of that data. DELWP does not check that the data is correct or otherwise take any responsibility for the content of material provided to you by your energy company.

If you have lived at your residence for more than twelve months, the usage data used by the Victorian Energy Compare website is provided by Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). As such, AEMO, not the State, is responsible for the accuracy of that data. DELWP does not check that the data is correct or otherwise take any responsibility for the content of material provided to you by AEMO.

If you have lived at your residence for less than twelve months, any information about your past, current or projected future energy usage that you obtain through use of Victorian Energy Compare is determined based on the information that you provide in response to questions. You are responsible for ensuring that the information that you provide is accurate and complete. The results provided by Victorian Energy Compare are estimates provided as a guide only and, although DELWP takes due care to ensure that the results are as accurate as possible, the results may not reflect your actual past, current or future energy usage. The information is not financial advice and may not accurately reflect the amount that you will pay for energy.

The information about available energy offers is provided by energy retailers and made available to DELWP. The energy retailer is required to ensure that information is accurate and current. The State is not responsible for verifying its accuracy, currency or completeness and does not take any steps to do so. Accordingly, DELWP does not guarantee the accuracy, currency or completeness of that material. If you wish to take up any offer listed in Victorian Energy Compare, you should verify the details of the offer with the energy retailer, including checking that the offer is available to you and all of the terms and conditions applicable to the offer. Victorian Energy Compare cannot provide information about whether certain discounts or incentives are available to you. You should not merely rely on the information provided through Victorian Energy Compare as being correct, current and applicable to you or your circumstances.

The energy offers displayed within Victorian Energy Compare do not necessarily reflect all of the offers that may be available to you. There may be additional offers that are available to you but that:

are not widely available to most domestic or small business customers or are exclusive to a particular customer segment, and are accordingly not required to be provided to the DELWP;
cannot be handled by Victorian Energy Compare because they fall outside the parameters used by Victorian Energy Compare to compare different offers; or
are otherwise not provided by the energy retailer to the DELWP.

You should check with the relevant energy retailer what offers may be available to you, including offers not displayed as part of the results given by Victorian Energy Compare.

Third party websites
This website may contain hyperlinks or references to other websites. The State does not claim any association with, and does not endorse, websites that are not clearly identified as sites maintained by the State. If you follow a hyperlink or are referred to another website, you are responsible for observing that website's terms of use. The State takes no responsibility for the accuracy or use of material on third party sites. The State is also not responsible for any non-availability of, or computer viruses, other harmful code, defects or errors in, third party sites.

Your rights under law
To the extent that your use of Victorian Energy Compare or this website results in you acquiring services as a consumer within the meaning of the Australian Consumer Law (as set out in Schedule 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) and given effect under the Australian Consumer Law and Fair Trading Act 2012 (Vic)), you may have certain rights and remedies (including, without limitation, consumer guarantee rights) that cannot be excluded, restricted or modified by agreement. Nothing in these terms and conditions operates to exclude, restrict or modify the application of any implied condition or warranty, provision, the exercise of any right or remedy, or the imposition of any liability, implied or conferred under the Australian Consumer Law or any other statute, the exclusion, restriction or modification of which would contravene that statute or cause any of these terms and conditions to be void (Non-excludable Obligation).

Operation of this website
Except in relation to Non-excludable Obligations, all conditions, warranties, guarantees, rights, remedies, liabilities or other terms implied or conferred by statute, custom, or the general law that impose any liability or obligation on the State are expressly excluded under these terms and conditions. Without limiting the above, the State does not warrant that:

Victorian Energy Compare or this website will be free of infections by viruses, worms, spyware, adware, keyloggers, trojans or any other computer code, program or routine that is harmful, destructive, disabling or that assists in or enables theft, alteration, denial of service, unauthorised disclosure or destruction or corruption of data; or
the functioning of Victorian Energy Compare or your access to Victorian Energy Compare or this website will be uninterrupted or error-free.

You should use up-to-date virus protection software and other systems to protect your own computer and systems from viruses or other harmful code.

Exclusions and limitations of liability
Except in relation to Non-excludable Obligations, the State will have no liability to you for any economic loss, loss of contract, loss of profit or revenue, loss of opportunity, loss of production, production stoppage, loss of data or other loss, harm, damage, cost or expense (including legal fees) in the nature of special, indirect or consequential loss or damage that arises directly or indirectly in connection with your use of Victorian Energy Compare or this website or the performance or non-performance of Victorian Energy Compare or this website, and whether arising under any indemnity, statute, in tort (for negligence or otherwise), or on any other basis in law or equity. The liability of the State to you:

for a failure to comply with any Non-excludable Obligation, except for services of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use or consumption (in respect of which liability is not so limited under these terms and conditions); or
in connection with your use of Victorian Energy Compare or this website or the performance or non-performance of Victorian Energy Compare or this website, and whether arising under any indemnity, statute, in tort (for negligence or otherwise), or on any other basis in law or equity, other than for a Non-excludable Obligation,

is limited to supplying the services again or payment of the cost of having the services supplied again.

Suspension of access
Without limiting the above, DELWP may remove or suspend Victorian Energy Compare or this website, or access to them, for any reason including where there is a fault, harmful code, unauthorised access or other malicious attack on the website or DELWP's systems or for the purposes of upgrading or maintenance of the website.

Termination of access
If, in DELWP's opinion, you breach any of these terms and conditions, DELWP may suspend, terminate or limit your access to Victorian Energy Compare or this website. DELWP does not waive any right under these terms and conditions unless the waiver is in writing signed by DELWP.

Intellectual property
Without limiting any other terms and conditions that apply to this website, you must not reproduce, adapt, modify, communicate or otherwise use any part of Victorian Energy Compare or this website without written permission from DELWP or as expressly permitted in these terms and conditions. This does not limit your rights under law (including to engage in fair dealing with the copyright material in Victorian Energy Compare or this website for the purposes permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)).

Privacy
Your use of Victorian Energy Compare is governed by the privacy statement for this website, which is located at https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/privacy and the DELWP privacy policy referred to in that statement. In addition to the collection of anonymous information through web servers set out in that privacy statement, in using Victorian Energy Compare you will be asked to supply certain information for the purposes of determining your estimated energy usage and profile, and some of the energy offers available to you.

If you do not provide this information, you will not be able to obtain information from Victorian Energy Compare.

To assist you, DELWP will need to access your electricity metering data (via Victorian Energy Compare) from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) under the Advance Metering Infrastructure (Information) Order and section 46D of the Electricity Industry Act 2000. Victorian Energy Compare will use your last 16 months of available data to determine your estimated energy usage and profile. You will need to provide your National Metering Identifier (NMI), retailer name, post code and confirmation that you have been occupying the relevant premises for at least 12 months.

Any such information that you supply through use of Victorian Energy Compare will only be used by DELWP for these purposes, and will not be supplied to any third parties. The information will not be retained by DELWP beyond the end of your session, except that information will be retained in a form aggregated with the information provided by other users of the website, and as part of the caching that occurs during the ordinary operation of this website. Any such information that is personal information will be held and used in accordance with DELWP's privacy policy.

Collection Statement
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is committed to protecting personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Victorian privacy laws.

The information you provide will be used to determine the energy offers available to you.

The information you provide may be made available to Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in order to retrieve your smart meter data on your behalf.

This information is being collected in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.

If all requested information is not received, DELWP will be unable to provide you with accurate information about energy offers available to you.

You may access the information you have provided to DELWP by contacting Victorian Energy Compare at info.vec@delwp.vic.gov.au .

Smart meter data gives you a more accurate, faster comparison

Did you know that using your own smart meter data in Victorian Energy Compare will give you the best electricity comparisons?

Selecting no to this question and answering the Victorian Energy Compare questionnaire will still give you an accurate comparison, but using your smart meter data will provide the most accurate estimates and will be based solely on your electricity usage habits.

Show me how to download my data

Am I eligible?

Concessions

If you have a relevant concession card, you may be able to get a concession.

Having trouble paying your energy bills? You may be eligible for a concession that will save you 17.5% or more off your gas and electricity bills

Victorian Energy Compare calculates two electricity concessions and one gas concession and applies these to your estimated bills:

Annual Electricity Concession – gives you 17.5% discount off your electricity bills
Winter Gas Concession – gives you 17.5% discount off your winter gas bills
Service to Property Concession – where your electricity service charge may be reduced to your usage charge

Find out about other concessions and rebates here

Victorian Energy Compare does not calculate any other energy concessions.

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