Understand The Electricity Market in Adelaide, South Australia

Electricity Market – Adelaide SA

Post on June 15th, 2015

Looking for Cheaper Power Bills in Adelaide or South Australia?

The first step towards saving money on your electricity and gas bills is to have a better understanding of the energy market in South Australia.

Electricity Wizard can help explain why you are paying so much for energy in South Australia. Find out the main components of your electricity bills, understand why your electricity rate changes, find out which electricity companies sell electricity in your area, and find out who has the cheapest rates so you can switch and save.

South Australian Electricity Market Explained

South Australia is the fourth largest electricity market in the country with just over 750,000 residential customers and approximately 100,000 business or commercial customers.

Prior to 2002, electricity customers were paying ETSA directly for their electricity. In 2002, retail competition was introduced to Adelaide and South Australia. This gave homes and businesses the opportunity to choose the company billing them for their power usage. In 2013, the deregulation of South Australia’s electricity meant that prices were no longer fully government regulated.

The Essential Services Commission of South Australia and the independent Australian Energy Market Operator work to ensure consumers pay a fair price for their energy.

Today, South Australia uses both renewable and non-renewable sources of energy to generate electricity. South Australia boasts one of Australia’s best green energy supply chains. Since the closure of the Northern Power Station, South Australia has no coal fired generators. Most of South Australia’s electricity is generated by gas, wind, or solar.

This generated electricity is transmitted via the high voltage network that is maintained by ElectraNet. Electricity initially travels at 275,000 volts along high voltage wires to bulk supply substations. Electricity substations reduce the voltage to 11,000 volts to travel to ground-level transformer stations.

Street poles, wires, and transformers reduce the power again to 240 volts in order to supply electricity to homes and businesses. The electricity distribution network in South Australia is maintained by SA Power Networks.

This electricity is then sold on the National Electricity Market. Electricity retailers offer plans and contracts to re-sell electricity from the wholesale companies to homes and businesses in South Australia. The retailer then bills consumers for their electricity usage. As well as sending bills and managing your account, retailers are also responsible for providing customer service and offering individual plans.

What controls the price of electricity in South Australia?

There are a range of components that go into the final price people pay for their electricity. In South Australia, the retail price of electricity is primarily made up of generation costs, transmission network costs, green scheme contributions, and retail costs.

Retail companies have the power to offer discounts and special market offers. It’s important for consumers to research the companies supplying electricity in the local region and see who has the cheapest rates.

Discounts and special offers change all the time. Comparing companies every 12 months will ensure you continue to get the lowest price available. Electricity Wizard has access to all the best rates and current special offers. Call now to find out if your current electricity retailer is the best company for you.

Choosing a Retailer in Adelaide and South Australia

The retailer’s portion of your electricity bill is made up of two components:

Your usage charges changed in kilowatt hours.
Your “service to property” fees (also known as “supply charges”) which are charged at a cents per day basis.

Electricity prices in Adelaide and South Australia vary amongst different retailers, so it is important to compare rates and charges if looking for a great deal. In addition to usage rates and daily supply charges, also check to see if additional discounts like pay on time bonuses can be applied to your bill.

If you need a new electricity connection in South Australia, find out more about new connections and the best retailer in your area.

Retailers in Adelaide and South Australia – The Main Differences

Retailers have the ability to offer large discounts and special rates to some customers. These include pay on time or “early bird” discounts and other special offers to make their power plans more attractive to customers. Other considerations when choosing a retailer are features such as “solar power buyback” and “green” or “renewable” energy products.

It’s important to choose a retailer that you know will deliver great customer service. At Electricity Wizard, we review all the companies in your area to make sure we offer only the best retailers to our customers.

There are an increasing number of retail electricity companies operating in Adelaide and South Australia. With so many factors to consider, choosing the best electricity retailer to suit your individual needs can be time consuming and confusing. Going it alone can be a major hassle. Fortunately, at Electricity Wizard, we do all the hard work for you.

Get a Better Deal on Your South Australia Electricity Bills

When you call us:

1. We’ll compare your rates and plans against the best suppliers available in your area.
2. We’ll help you select the right plan for you, whether you just want to cut down on your costs with the cheapest rate or have a range of other criteria.
3. We’ll handle the switch to a better retailer. We can take care of all the tricky details ensuring a seamless switch with no interruption of supply.

So, if a transfer to a better electricity retailer is best for you, we can organise everything to make it simple. Best of all, our comparison service is completely free! So what do you have to lose?

Try us today! Call Electricity Wizard now on 1300 359 779 or fill out your details below to have one of our energy comparison specialists help you get a better deal on your energy bills in less than 5 minutes!

Understand the Electricity Market in South Australia

Find a great electricity or gas plan from our leading partner retailers