ActewAGL’s electricity and gas plans

When reviewing ActewAGL energy plans, it’s important to note that a market contract’s terms and prices are set by ActewAGL. Whereas a standing contract will comply with guidelines established by the AER or the state or territory government.

If you want to save, you may want to choose a plan where pricing matches when you use energy. For instance, a time of use tariff may not be the most cost-effective if you use most of your energy during peak periods. 

The energy plans offered by ActewAGL include:

• Good to Go plan: Offers you electricity at flat rates irrespective of when you use your appliances. You can choose a controlled load tariff plan if you want to bill the electricity used for some appliances separately.
  
  
• Cool Credit plan: Another flat-rate plan, but you may have to pay a higher per-unit tariff than the Good to Go plan and receive an annual discount. This plan also offers a controlled load electricity tariff.
  
  
• Solar Plus plan: Offers a feed-in tariff for customers who have solar panels installed that can supply electricity back to the grid. You can also choose a time-of-use tariff and save more by planning your electricity use outside of the peak hours of 7:00 am to 8:59 am and 5:00 pm to 6:59 pm.
  
  
• Bust a Move plan: Gives you a full discount on your energy bill for the first month after moving homes either with ActewAGL or after signing up. Plan options also include two types of “home saver” electricity tariffs and a demand tariff in addition to the flat rate, time-of-use, and controlled load tariffs. If you’re choosing one of the home saver options, you pay a lower rate for electricity use up to the specified level, while the demand tariff means you pay an additional charge for half an hour of maximum electricity usage during the evening peak hours once a month.
  
  
• Power Up Plan: Offers a flat but discounted electricity tariff if you sign up for an ActewAGL contract through the company’s call centre.
  
  
• EVolve Plan: Targeted at customers who own electric vehicles and encourages you to install a smart meter with a discount on your energy bill.
  
  
• Virtual Power Plant Plan: For customers who purchase a specific solar battery system and join ActewAGL’s network for selling the excess solar power generated.

Many Australians today are more conscious about the source of the energy they use in their homes. To help you make a greener choice, ActewAGL offers the choice of buying green power or electricity generated from renewable sources. 

ActewAGL’s Greenchoice gives customers two options when it comes to the green energy you use to power your home; a fixed option and a percentage-based option. If you choose the fixed option, you can specify the per-day amount of green power ActewAGL should purchase for you. 

On the other hand, when choosing the percentage-based option, you specify the portion of your energy bill that comes from green power. Currently, ActewAGL offers 10 per cent, 25 per cent, 50 per cent, 100 per cent, and 200 per cent green power, depending on the energy plan you choose.

Another way Australians are embracing green energy is by installing solar power. If you have solar power, ActewAGL has some options for you. Many of the energy plans offered by ActewAGL include a solar feed-in tariff. This is where you get paid for any excess energy your solar panels generate and is fed back into the grid. 

If you’re keen on earning more by selling solar power, you can choose the Solar Advantage plan, which offers a higher solar feed-in tariff. However, this is a block tariff, where you get a higher price for the first 8 kWh you export to the electricity grid and a lesser price for any further electricity you export.

If you’ve never had to sign up for an energy plan before, you may not know what to look for when comparing energy plans. To help you decide if ActewAGL is right for you, you can give them a call to discuss the plans they offer, how much they cost and if you’re eligible for any discounts. Some of ActewAGL’s plans come with a benefit period where you may get credits on your bill. 

In contrast, others require you to sign up for the retailer’s bill smoothing service, EvenPay. With EvenPay, you’re charged a fixed amount on your bill, calculated as an estimated average of your energy costs. You’ll then pay the amount billed to you via direct debit, either monthly or fortnightly. This pricing is revised every six months.

Another initiative that ActewAGL offers is the fridge pick up and appliance upgrade program. This will help you cut down on your energy if you have older appliances that aren’t as energy-efficient. In addition, ActewAGL offers customers rebates on their energy bills as encouragement. 

You can also minimise your energy bills by checking if your electricity meter supports demand tariffs or time-of-use tariffs.  Once checked, you can choose an energy plan that offers these tariffs. Using a smart meter can also help understand household energy consumption patterns, which can be altered to bring down energy costs.

ActewAGL also passes on any rebates or concessions offered by federal and state governments to customers as long as they’ve given the company the necessary details. Some of these include:

•  Centrelink Pensioner Concession or Low Income Health Care Card,
•  Department of Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card or Gold Card. 

You just need to share your card information with ActewAGL, allow the retailer to verify your eligibility, and ActewAGL will apply the concessions to your account. ActewAGL requires customers to register before they can apply for these rebates.

If you’re moving home but staying within the ActewAGL service area, it’s a simple process to move your ActewAGL account with you. You just need to let ActewAGL know the details of your move. 

You can also choose moving specific option like the Power Move plan; this plan is also available to new customers. With this plan, you can potentially receive a rebate of $50 per quarter if buying both electricity and gas or $25 per quarter for just electricity. 

The rebates will be applied to your energy bills every quarter for one year from the date you sign the contract. If you have a standing contract, you’ll need to switch to the Power Move market offer to get the benefit. 

If you need to move suddenly, you can place a request for ActewAGL’s same-day connection scheme by contacting ActewAGL either online or by phone. Online requests should be placed by 1 P.M. and telephonic requests by 2 P.M. ActewAGL doesn’t charge either sign-up or exit fees, but you may need to pay a fee for the urgent moving along with related charges.