Tips & Guides

How electricity connection fees work in Australia

Find all the information you need regarding electricity connection fees in Australia with HOOD's comprehensive guide!


Unpacking boxes in the dark? Doesn’t sound like much fun, so you’d better get your electricity connection sorted before moving day. Here’s HOOD’s guide to power connection fees in Australia.

Whether you’re on the hunt for a new place to live or already in the midst of planning a big move, understanding how electricity rates and connection fees work in Australia is of great value.

If you’ve been left in charge of sorting the electricity at your new house, HOOD has a few things you’ll want to know.

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Who sets electricity connection fees?

Electricity connection fees are set by energy distributors, who also create and maintain electricity infrastructure in any given state.

The company you receive your bills from is called an energy retailer, such as Origin or AGL. Retailers collect fees on behalf of distributors, but have very little to do with actually setting rates.

Thus, as a power consumer, you’re actually a customer of two distinct companies.

This can lead to a little confusion when it comes to figuring out who charges what, depending on the distributor you’re using, the state you’re in or moving to, and the way your retailer passes down fees.

Bear in mind that if you sort out your electricity connection through HOOD, you won’t have to think about any of this stuff, because it’s our job to find cost-effective utility retailers and providers for your needs.

If you ask us, ‘how much does it cost to connect electricity to my new property?’, we’ll give you a straight answer.

 

Electricity connection fees in each state

Each state in Australia has a slightly different system. Some states have only a single power distributor, whereas others have a mix of multiple distributors and retailers.

New South Wales

Three different energy distributors serve different areas of NSW. The distribution network and fees can vary:

Distributor
Connection fee (including GST)
Service areas
Ausgrid $20.08* Inner Sydney, northern suburbs, central-east coast NSW
Endeavour Energy $26.80* Western suburbs of Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Wollongong
Essential Energy $26.87 – $54.65* NSW and some of Southern Queensland.

*Prices updated as of February 2021, subject to change

 

Victoria

Victoria has the most diverse distribution network, with five distributors serving the state. Prices can vary widely with these distributors depending on whether your connection can be done remotely or requires a technician to physically visit the property.

Distributor
Connection fee (including GST)
Service areas
AusNet Services $6.68 – $21.99* Melbourne’s outer easter suburbs and eastern Victoria
CitiPower $10.95 – $37.99* Melbourne CBD and its inner suburbs
Jemena $10.42 – $42.39* North and western Melbourne
Powercor $11 – $56.05* Outer western suburbs of Melbourne, western and central Victoria
United Energy $11.16 – $49.56* South-eastern suburbs of Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula

*Prices updated as of February 2021, subject to change

 

Queensland

Energex and Ergon Energy are the only two electricity distributors in Queensland. Energex charges a $12.45* energy connection fee, and Ergon connects electricity with no fee.

 

South Australia

South Australia is another state with only one energy distributor, called SA Power Networks. They charge $50.25* to connect your electricity.

 

Australian Capital Territory

The only electricity distributor in the ACT is Evoenergy. They charge the highest electricity connection fee in Australia at $88.47*. A customer of Evoenergy leaving their energy network can expect a similar disconnection fee.

*Prices updated as of February 2021, subject to change

 

Moving House: Connections & Disconnections Fees

Whether you're moving out or moving in, you'll need to make sure that your electricity is connected or disconnected and ready for your home's next tenant.

Connections

If you're moving into a home with a pre-existing energy connection, you'll have to organise the new connection with your provider as well as the disconnection from your previous home. While the lead-up to your move-in date can get quite busy, it's essential to book your electricity connection to your new home at least a day before your move. We'd recommend booking your connection three days in advance, just to be safe, because nothing is worse than walking into your new home with all your appliances to find out you forgot to connect the electricity.

For everyone other than individuals in Queensland or New South Wales, your new home connection can easily be completed without you there so that you can put your time towards other important things on your moving to-do list.

For renters, you'll most likely find that your new home has an active connection under your landlord or real estate agent. So, before you move in, you'll need to contact your energy provider and transfer your connection to your name. This usually takes about three business days, so make sure you book this before your moving day rolls around.

 

Disconnections

Just as you need to pay an electricity connection fee to your provider before moving in, you'll also need to do the same for your previous home. An electricity disconnection fee works the same way as your connection fee would. All you need to do is contact your electricity provider, and they'll organise the disconnection to your old home. It's again important that you do this at least three business days before you move; otherwise, you could end up with a bigger bill from your old home (up to $1 a day) even if you aren't using any electricity. This is also something to keep in mind if you have a gas connection.

If your old home is being demolished, you'll need to follow the same process and call your energy provider to request a supply abolishment, costing from $300 upwards.

 

Urgent Connections

Nothing is worse than arriving in your new home to remember you forgot to call your provider and connect your electricity. While most energy providers can perform an urgent electricity connection, you may still be out of power for a day, depending on your provider. Some providers offer within-the-day connections when notified by midday. Unfortunately, these urgent electricity connections will also incur a much larger fee.

 

Connection & Disconnection Fees

When disconnecting or connecting electricity to the new home, you can be charged a small fee of up to $50; this depends on the timeframe given to your provider and your home's electricity connection. While $10- $50 is the most common electricity disconnection and connection fee, some providers charge up to $100.

With various providers available across the country, here are a few popular providers and the standard electricity connection and disconnection fees charged to their customers.

State Energy Provider Connection/Disconnection Fee
NSW Ausgrid
Endeavour
Essential Energy
$48.04
$77.44
$40.98
QLD Energyex
Ergon Energy
N/A
N/A
ACT EvoEnergy $94.15
SA SA Power Works $53.37
VIC Citipower
Powercor
Ausnet Services
Jemena
United Energy
$37.58
$55.67
$35.10
$54.45
$52.15
WA Western Power $5.35

*Prices updated as of July 2021, subject to change

 

How do I connect my electricity?

Now that you know how much it costs to connect your electricity, what do you do next?

  1. Preferably, at least a few days before your move, text HOOD’s chatbot to connect electricity.

  2. Once you’re certain of the date, you’ll vacate your old home and call your old energy provider to let them know to disconnect your service.

  3. Plan on meeting the technician at the new property (if the connection is manual and requires an on-site visit).


What if I’m moving from one electricity provider to another

If you’re moving out of one distributor’s network – moving interstate, for example – the fees will change. Not only will you incur a new connection fee, but you might also be subject to a disconnection fee from your previous provider.

 

What if I’m staying within the network of the same provider?

If you’re already a customer of an energy retailer and you move within the network, you’ll most likely just be moving your service. You may not be charged additional fees to connect your property if you transfer your account.

 

What if I rented my last home?

You don’t need to disconnect the electricity, but make sure you’re removed from future bills. You also must inform the energy provider of your updated address, so they can send your final bill.

 

How do I know if I’m getting the right deal?

None of these steps account for shopping around. It’s laborious to find the right deal, with a plethora of retail energy providers in each state’s market, all of them will handle fees differently.

If you’d like to check this box off your list and find a great deal quickly and easily, message the HOOD chatbot. We tailor our service to your needs – location, timing, budget etc. – and sort out all of your utility connections for you, including electricity. HOOD is free to use and takes a big chunk off your moving to-do list.

Further Reading:

*Prices last updated 22/02/2021. References:

 

If you're looking to move, be sure to connect with HOOD.

Fill in your details below and we'll do the rest.

 

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