Switching energy retailers in Australia takes about fifteen minutes and nobody comes to your house. The work is all in choosing the right plan first. Our Complete Guide covers the Red Energy plans, the reviews and the Qantas Points side if you are still deciding.
1. Assess Your Current Energy Usage and Needs
You cannot compare plans without knowing what you actually use.
- Review past bills: Pull your last four electricity and gas bills so you have a full year. Note the average daily usage, kWh for electricity and MJ for gas. A single summer bill will mislead you.
- Consider your lifestyle: Someone working from home with the air conditioning running all afternoon wants a different tariff to someone out of the house from seven to six.
- Look at solar: With solar panels, the feed-in tariff and how much you export can matter more than the usage rate. Check what Red Energy pays for exports before anything else.
2. Compare Red Energy Plans
- Tariff Structure: Flat rate, time-of-use, or demand. Time-of-use pays off only if you can genuinely shift washing, dishwashing and charging into off-peak windows.
- Contract Length: Longer terms sometimes buy a slightly better rate and always cost flexibility. Know which you are trading.
- Discounts and Incentives: Pay-on-time discounts and Qantas Points both come with conditions. Work out what they are worth in dollars per year, then compare.
- Green Options: Check whether GreenPower or an equivalent accredited product is available if that matters to you.
- Fees: Connection, disconnection and early termination fees. Find them before you sign, not when you leave.
3. Contact Red Energy and Enquire About Switching
Sign up online or by phone.
- Provide necessary information: Your address, your current account details from an old bill, and the plan you have chosen.
- Ask questions: Confirm the exact start date of the new plan, and if you have solar, confirm the feed-in rate in writing.
4. The Switching Process: What to Expect
Your power does not go off. Nothing is disconnected and reconnected.
- No Physical Work Required: No technician visit in almost all cases. The change happens in the market systems, not at your meter box.
- Notification to Your Previous Provider: Red Energy tells your old retailer for you.
- Final Bill from Previous Provider: You get a final bill covering usage up to the switch date.
- Cooling-Off Period: Australia gives you a cooling-off period, typically 10 business days, to change your mind after signing up.
5. Monitoring Your Energy Usage After Switching
- Online Portal or App: Red Energy has both. Set up the login on day one, not when a bill looks wrong.
- Compare to Previous Bills: Put the first full quarter next to the same quarter last year. That is the only comparison that tells you whether the switch worked.
- Adjust Your Usage: If the savings did not appear, the plan may be wrong for your usage pattern rather than the rates being bad. Check which window your consumption actually falls in.
Important Considerations:
- Solar Panel Owners: Get the feed-in rate confirmed and check it appears correctly on your first bill.
- Concessions: Tell Red Energy if you are eligible for an energy concession. They do not apply it automatically.
- Read the Fine Print: Terms and conditions, before signing.
Do the usage homework first and the switch itself is the easy part.