Expert’s Guide: ActewAGL Review and Prices

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Electricity and gas retailer ActewAGL provides residential and business energy services in the Australian Capital Territory and South East New South Wales. The company was set up in 2000 as a joint venture between AGL and the ACT-owned ACTEW. Today, the company claims to provide great value to its 187,000 electricity customers, plus nearly 150,000 gas customers.

In our endeavour to help consumers make informed energy decisions, Canstar Blue reviews ActewAGL to discuss whether or not it’s the right retailer for your home. If you live in the ACT in particular, power price competition is heating up and you should make sure you’re still getting a good deal.

ActewAGL’s prices

We take a look at ActewAGL electricity plans in detail below to provide an insight into what you’ll actually pay.

An expert’s guide to ActewAGL

If you’re wondering what services are available in your state, look no further than the table below. We summarise what you can expect to find in New South Wales, Victoria, South East Queensland, South Australia, ACT and Western Australia.

ActewAGL energy plans

ActewAGL’s retail service operates across ACT and extends to some areas of New South Wales, including Shoalhaven, Queanbeyan and South East New South Wales. It generally has a few market offers in each area it operates and sells natural gas in some locations.

There are four plans on offer in Canberra. Each is a simple contract with no exit fees or lock-in contracts, a solar FiT and GreenPower options. These plans are:

• ActewAGL Simple Saver: The ActewAGL Simple Saver plan is a variable rate plan on a single rate tariff. This plan is currently only available in the ACT.
• Home: The Home plan is a variable rate plan with a block rate pricing structure. This plan is currently only available in the ACT and is equal to the reference price in the ACT.
• Home Saver: The Home plan is a variable rate plan with a fixed rate pricing structure. This plan is currently only available in the ACT and is equal to the reference price in the ACT.
• Home Saver Plus: The Home plan is also variable rate plan with a block rate pricing structure, but with higher supply charges and lower usage charges. This plan is currently only available in the ACT.

ActewAGL natural gas

ActewAGL also sells natural gas in Canberra. Gas contracts are on a standard offer basis with no standalone discount. Customers that bundle both electricity and gas may be eligible to receive a guaranteed discount depending on where you live.

ActewAGL solar

Households can access solar panels, inverters and storage systems in the ACT and surrounding areas through Smart Energy Hub with ActewAGL and SolarHub.

Solar customers will receive a feed-in tariff of 8c/kWh in the ACT. Please note that the feed-in tariff available to you will depend on plan eligibility.

Compare Solar Energy Providers

ActewAGL GreenChoice

Customers may voluntarily opt-in for ActewAGL’s GreenChoice program. With GreenChoice, ActewAGL commits to purchasing renewable electricity from government-accredited sources to be fed into the grid on your behalf. According to the ActewAGL website, the renewable energy it sources for this program is independently assessed by the Australian government’s National GreenPower Accreditation Program.

There are two ways for customers to purchase power through GreenChoice: a fixed-use option or a percentage-based option. Under its fixed-use option, ActewAGL purchases a fixed amount of green energy on the customer’s behalf each day. Under the percentage-based option, customers select a percentage of their electricity usage to be matched with GreenPower. The percentage-based option costs 6.6c per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Other services available

ActewAGL aims to be the go-to for everything energy by having its own energy shop where it sells and installs reverse cycle air conditioners, natural gas heating, evaporative ducted cooling, gas log fires and hot water systems.

It also has a host of support services, including gas and electrical and repairs. This includes the maintenance of hot water systems, heating, switchboards, smoke detectors, power points and plenty more.

ActewAGL also tries to help its customers in other ways, offering plenty of advice on its website to help customers understand their bills and cut their power usage.

Contact information and billing details

If you ever need to contact ActewAGL about a product or service, you’ll find all the details below.

ActewAGL contact information

Depending on what service you are after, ActewAGL has a point of contact for you. Details are listed below:

• General enquiries: 13 14 93
• Email: resolutions@actewagl.com.au 
• Postal address: ActewAGL GPO Box 366, Canberra ACT 2601

ActewAGL billing

When it comes time to pay your energy bill, the retailer allows payment a few different ways for your convenience:

• Online: make a one-off payment via the website using a valid card
• Direct debit: set up automatic debits from a nominated bank account or credit card — customers can either use direct debit to pay their bills in full (FulPay) or split them into predictable fortnightly or monthly payments (EvenPay)
• BPAY: make payment using the biller code and BPAY reference number on the invoice
• Phone: make a payment over the phone using a valid card
• Post office: make a payment by visiting any Australia Post Office and using a valid credit card, cheque or cash
• Mail: make a payment by cheque or money order and post it to ActewAGL
• Centrepay: ActewAGL customers may opt to pay their bills via regular education from their Centrelink payments.

ActewAGL self-service platform

For those looking to stay on top of their bills and view their usage history, ActewAGL also has a self-service platform called ‘ActewAGL’, which customers can access after signing up. Customers can change their personal details and keep track of their usage information to help improve their home energy efficiency.