Understanding energy rates and charges
On your electricity bill you’ll see two types of charges – usage charges and supply charges.
Supply charges
Your supply charge is a daily charge and covers the cost of delivering electricity to your premises, including distributor costs and transmission costs. You’ll see this listed on your Ampol Energy electricity bill as Supply and it’s charged in cents per day (or c/Day).
Usage charges
Usage charges are the rates charged for the amount of electricity you use. These are also known as tariffs.
Tariff types
An electricity tariff is the way you get charged for the electricity used at your premises. The type of tariff your home is on will be set by your distributor and your meter type. The types of electricity tariffs are:
- Single rate.
You’ll be charged a flat usage rate for the amount of energy used at your home, no matter what time of day. You’ll see this listed on your electricity bill as General Usage and it’s charged in cents per kilowatt hour (or c/kWh). - Time of use.
Time of use tariffs mean you are charged a different rate for the energy you use at different times of the day. The types of rates are Peak, Shoulder and Off Peak. - Peak: This is when electricity cost is the highest and generally applies in the evenings. You’ll see this listed on your electricity bill as Peak Usage.
- Shoulder: This is when electricity usage costs a bit less than peak, but more than off peak. Shoulder rates generally apply overnight and in the early mornings. You’ll see this listed on your electricity bill as Shoulder Usage.
- Off Peak: This is when electricity usage charges are lowest and generally applies during the day. You’ll see this listed on your electricity bill as Off Peak Usage.
Hint: A great way to keep electricity costs down is to run appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines during off peak times. - Controlled load.
Controlled load refers to electricity which is used for a stand alone item, such as electric hot water systems or underfloor heating. These appliances often have their own meter. We’ll charge a lower rate for that appliance and the energy it uses. - Controlled Load Usage. This is charged in cents per kilowatt hour (or c/kWh) and reflects the energy usage of the stand alone item.
- Controlled Load Supply. This is charged in cents per day (or c/Day) and is a daily charge which covers the cost of delivering electricity to your controlled load item.
If you have multiple controlled loads, you’ll incur usage and supply charges for each controlled load. - Demand.
Demand tariffs are designed to encourage reduced energy usage during peak energy consumption times, which is generally in the evenings as people return home from work and switch on multiple appliances.
If you’re charged a demand tariff, you will incur usage and supply charges but will also incur a demand charge on top of your general usage. Demand charges are calculated based on the maximum power reading recorded between 4pm and 9pm on any day during your billing period. This maximum power reading is then utilised to calculate your monthly charge.
You’ll see demand charges on your electricity bill as Demand kW, and it’s charged in dollars per kilowatt per month (or $/kW/month).
Hint: One way to help keep your demand charge down is to avoid simultaneous use of major appliances (such as dishwashers, washing machines, heating and cooling). - Solar Feed-In.
If you have solar installed at your premises, you could also be eligible for a solar feed-in tariff. A solar feed-in tariff is a credit received on your bill for any unused electricity your home’s solar power system sends back to the grid.
Why do energy prices change?
The cost of electricity can be affected by a broad range of factors including macro issues such as international supply shortages, network costs such as the maintenance and operation of energy infrastructure (the poles and wires that carry the electricity to your home) and weather conditions.
Each year, the Australian Energy Regulator sets what is called the Default Market Offer.
What is the Default Market Offer?
The Default Market Offer, or DMO, sets a price cap on how much energy retailers – including Ampol Energy – can charge electricity consumers on default plans. Default plans are also known as standing offer contracts.
The Australian Energy Regulator determines this price cap, and this is reviewed and comes into effect in July of each year. This price cap also acts as a benchmark, which is known as the reference price.
What is the reference price?
The reference price is a benchmark price for electricity set by the Australian Energy Regulator. It’s based on average electricity use in your area. You can compare different plans to the reference price to find a good deal. Electricity companies must use a percentage to show you how their advertised price compares to the reference price. This makes it easy for you to compare different electricity plans and prices.
You can find out more about the DMO and the reference price here.
How will I find out about prices changing?
We’ll let you know. For most Ampol Energy customers, you’ll receive an email from us with all the information, including your current rates, your new rates and the date the price change takes effect. We’ll let you know before the change takes effect.
Estimated meter reads and your bill
Generally, your bill is based upon your actual usage. However, there are times when your bill is calculated based upon an estimate of your energy usage. If this is the case, your bill will clearly state that your bill is based upon an estimated read.
You can find out more about why you might have an estimated meter read, as well as how to submit a meter reading by contacting our friendly team on 13 14 04 (Monday - Friday, 9am-6pm Sydney time).
Financial support
If you’re having difficulty paying your bill, we have a number of options available to you. Please contact our Customer Service Team by email at energyassistance@ampolenergy.com.au or call us on 13 14 04 (Monday – Friday, 9am-6pm Sydney time) to see how we can help. You can also find more information on our website, including our Ampol Energy Assistance policy.