Last updated: October 2024
Canstar Blue’s Outstanding Value Awards for Electricity and for Solar Electricity Plans use a sophisticated ratings methodology, unique to Canstar Blue, which compares providers’ suites of electricity and solar products offered to consumers.
The Canstar Blue Outstanding Value Award is awarded to providers in each state/territory that provide the strongest electricity or solar offering across consumer profiles from Canstar Blue’s Electricity Value Rank (solar plans use the Electricity Value Rank with extra consideration for solar feed-in). Canstar Blue’s Electricity Value Rank assesses a product’s value for money by considering a product’s price (Price Score) and feature offering (Feature Score) and comparing it across the market.
Canstar Blue’s Electricity and Solar Electricity Outstanding Value Awards consider electricity plans that are either single rate or controlled load. For the Solar Electricity Plans Outstanding Value Award, only plans with a solar feed-in tariff are considered.
Plans that do not show the exact usage cost and supply charge a customer can expect to pay are not considered e.g. plans that provide access to wholesale electricity spot pricing and are only able to provide an estimated usage rate are excluded from consideration in the Awards.
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| Plan Type | Eligibility Criteria | Consumer Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Single Rate | Plan must be available under a single rate tariff which may be called:
Does not include:
|
|
| Controlled Load | Plan must be eligible under single rate tariff (as above) with the optional availability of a controlled load tariff, or, plan must be a controlled load specific plan, which may be called:
Does not include:
|
|
For each state/territory, Canstar Blue takes into account provider performance over two tariff types, three usage profiles (not applicable for Solar Electricity Plans as these assume a single representative usage amount), and each applicable distribution network within that state/territory.
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| Tariff Type | Household Size (not applicable for Solar Electricity plans) | Distribution Network |
|---|---|---|
| Single Rate
Single Rate with Controlled Load |
Low
Medium High |
ACT – Evoenergy
NSW – Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, and Essential Energy QLD – Energex SA – SA Power Networks VIC – Citipower, Jemena, Powercor, Ausnet Services, and United Energy TAS – TasNetworks |
For each tariff type, household size, and distribution network, Canstar Blue uses an estimated annual electricity usage.
For Controlled Load profiles, controlled load usage is assumed to be 30% of total usage, with the exception of TAS, which assumes a controlled load usage of 57.9%.
Canstar Blue’s Outstanding Value Awards for Electricity Plans (State/Territory) and Solar Electricity Plans (State/Territory) consider a retailer’s cumulative performance across single rate and controlled load plans over a three-month historical consideration, for each distribution network within the state/territory. The weights below represent the weighted distribution of each plan type considered in the award. To be considered for a State/Territory award, a retailer must be available in all considered distributors for that State/Territory.
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| State/Territory | Single Rate Weighing | Controlled Load Weighing |
|---|---|---|
| ACT | 90% | 10% |
| NSW | 70% | 30% |
| QLD | 50% | 50% |
| SA | 85% | 15% |
| VIC | 80% | 20% |
| TAS | 40% | 60% |
Canstar Blue endeavours to include the majority of providers and products in the market and to compare product features relevant to most consumers in our ratings. However, this process is not always possible, and it may be that not every provider and/or product in the market is included in the rating, nor every feature compared that is relevant to you.
Canstar Blue’s Electricity Value Rank assesses a product’s value for money by considering a product’s price (Price Score) and feature offering (Feature Score) and comparing it across the market. The plans that are lower in cost (higher Price Score) and have a higher Feature Score will be ranked higher than plans which have a higher cost and a lower Feature Score.
Canstar Blue monitors changes on an ongoing basis, and the Value Rank, Pricing Score and Feature Scores of each plan are fully re-calculated every day.
Canstar Blue ranks electricity plans based on value-for-money. Whereby, the Value Rank takes into account a plan’s estimated annual cost and features offered as compared to the market. The plans that are lower in cost and have more features will be ranked higher than plans which have higher cost and fewer features.
This methodology and the many others Canstar Blue uses to conduct it’s in-depth consumer research are managed by Canstar Blue’s in-house Research Team. They provide the expertise that powers our Star Ratings and Awards, designed to help Australian consumers make more informed purchasing decisions.
Meet the Research Team