Can I switch my home to a new electricity or gas supplier?
If you are resident in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland or the ACT you are now able to choose who supplies electricity and gas to your home. The ShopAround.com.au service can be used by residents of Victoria and we are working towards launching the service in the other deregulated states as soon as possible.
Can I switch my business to a new electricity or gas supplier?
Yes you can! If you are running a small to medium business in Victoria that consumes up to 160 megawatt hours of electricity (approx $25,000) or 10 gigajoules of gas (approx $90,000) per year then you can use are online process to compare our great electricity and gas deals available for small to medium business owners from our participating suppliers. If your business energy consumption is higher than this please call us directly on 1300 66 80 10 so we can address your individual power requirements.
For people running businesses in NSW, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT we are working with our suppliers to roll out the service to these states as soon as possible.
What happens when I switch?
Once you’ve chosen a new electricity or gas supplier on ShopAround.com.au we advise the new supplier that they’ll now be responsible for the supply of your energy. The new supplier will then organise the transfer of your account to their system. Depending on the supplier, this process is finalised immediately or the next time your meter is read and can take up to 3 months depending on where you are in your current billing cycle. Once this process is complete, you will receive your electricity or gas bills from your new supplier instead of your previous supplier.
Which electricity and gas suppliers participate in the ShopAround service?
At ShopAround, we aim to give you the best possible choice. We have initially launched our online comparison service in Victoria and we are working hard to finalise commercial arrangements with all of the electricity and gas suppliers in that state. You can find details of suppliers who currently participate in our service here.
You can find a full list of energy suppliers licensed to trade in Victoria on the Essential Services Commission website at www.esc.vic.gov.au.
We’ll soon be launching our service in South Australia, Queensland, the ACT and New South Wales.
When will I receive my first bill from my new supplier?
If you switch electricity or gas suppliers with ShopAround you will receive your first bill from your new supplier about 3 months after your meter has been read and your supply transferred over.
Will I receive any bills from my old supplier?
You will receive a final bill from your old supplier after your meter has been read.
What if I change my mind - is there a cooling off period?
After you’ve completed your switch on ShopAround.com.au, you are entitled to cooling off period of 10 business days. If you change your mind in this time, just contact us at customerservice@ShopAround.com.au and we’ll arrange your contract to be cancelled without any cost to you.
(If you are in Victoria and your switch includes arranging connection services you are only entitled to a 5 day cooling off period.)
What if I change my mind after the cooling off period?
If you change your mind about switching after the cooling off period, what happens depends on the specific terms and conditions of the electricity or gas plan you are on. For example, some plans that are not fixed term require you to give a certain amount of notice in writing to your supplier and you can terminate the contract without incurring any costs. Other contracts can only be terminated if you pay a fee to the supplier. You must check the terms and conditions of your current electricity or gas plan carefully before deciding to terminate.
Do I have to advise my current supplier that I’m switching?
If you are on the standard regulated contract (you haven’t changed supplier or negotiated a new contract with your existing supplier since deregulation was introduced) you do not have to advise your current supplier that you are switching.
If you are currently on a negotiated market contract, you should check the terms and conditions of your contract carefully to see if there are any termination fees applicable, or if you have to advise your old supplier in writing that you are terminating the contract.
What information do I need to provide to switch?
To find out about ShopAround deals available in your area, you only have to enter your postcode and some basic details about your estimated electricity or gas usage. It will help to have your most recent electricity or gas bill on hand.
Once you’ve chosen a new energy plan from one of the participating ShopAround suppliers and you want to switch to that supplier, we then ask you to enter your personal and/or business details and your new contract is completed online.
Will I receive any details after I switch?
After you switch online with ShopAround, you’ll receive an email immediately confirming the details of your switch. The Terms & Conditions of your new Energy Plan will be attached to the email. You will also receive a confirmation letter from ShopAround by standard mail within a few days of your switch process commencing.
In some cases, a welcome pack will also be sent to the address that the electricity or gas supply relates to from your new energy supplier, setting out the complete details of your new Energy Plan and the full terms and conditions of the contract.
What if I don’t want a welcome letter – I want to receive my contract electronically.
As part of our security protocol on the ShopAround.com.au site, we send a welcome letter to the street address that the electricity or gas will be supplied to under the new energy plan. This letter is a further identification check to ensure that the occupiers of the property know that a new energy plan has been finalised with respect to their property.
Do you do credit checks or require a security deposit?
Some of the participating ShopAround suppliers require a credit check and we will advise you of this in the application process. If a credit check is required, your contract is only offered subject to the credit check being completed successfully.
Some suppliers require a security deposit. Many suppliers remove the requirement for a security deposit if you agree to pay your account by direct debit. We will advise you of these details throughout the application process for specific products.
What if I’m moving home or into a new business premises?
If you are using the ShopAround service to arrange electricity or gas connection for a home you are moving into or a new business site, please be sure to enter these details when asked. Switching normally takes a few weeks at least, but we can arrange for move-in connections so long as you give us at least 2 days business notice.
What is full retail competition or FRC?
FRC, or Full Retail Competition, means deregulation of the energy market. Prior to deregulation, you weren’t able to choose your electricity and gas supplier and all prices were regulated by the government. Now that many new suppliers have been allowed to enter the market and if you live in NSW, Victoria, ACT, South Australia or Queensland you can now use ShopAround to find the best electricity and gas deal for you from all the products that suppliers offer.
Does FRC make any difference to me?
You now have the power to choose! You can conveniently use the ShopAround online comparison service and choose a retailer that provides the best energy deal that meets your needs.
Do I have to switch if the energy market is deregulated in my state?
If you live in NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia or Queensland you have three choices:
- do nothing and your current supplier will continue to supply your energy needs under your existing arrangements
- enter a new negotiated market contract with your existing supplier
- use Shoparound to find one of our participating suppliers who better meets your energy needs.