Business electricity pricing questions

The price you pay for electricity is called the standard published rate and is charged as cents per kilowatt-hour. The charge for electricity is open to competition. There is also a fixed service to property charge.

Remember that the charge for the actual electricity you have used is only one part of what you pay. It is often less than half the standard published rate. The rest of the standard published rate is made up of other charges.

If you are quoted a price from another electricity retailer, it may be a price for the Electricity Charge only, not the whole standard published rate you will pay. Quoting an Electricity Charge only would give the impression of a much lower price, simply because the total standard published rate is not shown.

To compare your current standard published rate with any new offer you will need to understand the rest of the charges that you will pay. Adding on these charges may make an offer higher than your current standard published rate.

Refer to our information sheet  to understanding the charges that make up a standard published rate.

If you receive an Electricity Charge only quote for supplying electricity to your premises it may be that only the price for electricity is shown clearly.

The other charges may be listed as “pass through” somewhere else on the quote. How much you will pay for these charges may not be shown.

You need to compare all the elements to see which offer is best for you.

It is important to understand that “pass through” charges, which your provider passes on to you, are not fixed charges. Any increases in these charges may be passed through to you.