An Expert’s Guide to Horizon Power
Horizon Power is a state Government-owned electricity retailer, servicing residential and business customers in regional Western Australia. It is responsible for generating, distributing and retailing electricity across 2.3 million square kilometres in WA, making it responsible for delivering energy services to the largest geographical catchment of any Australian power provider.
In this article, Canstar Blue takes a close look at the electricity retail side of Horizon Power, particularly focusing on what this energy company provides for residential and small business customers in regional WA.
On this page we’ll cover:
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Horizon Power Expert Guide
Horizon Power supplies power to over 110,000 homes and businesses in remote and regional WA, over an area of 2.3 million square kilometres. Its network runs across most of the state, heading as far north as Kununurra and as far south as Hopetoun. Horizon Power is Australia’s only ‘vertically integrated utility’ which means it operates across the full electricity supply chain – from generation to retail. In other states and territories, this process is divided into different sections, with groups such as electricity distributors and energy retailers, generally only taking care of one supply element. However, Horizon Power claims it is looking to transition “from a one-way linear relationship towards community energy exchanges”.
Some of the general services Horizon Power provides to customers include:
- Answering energy bill enquiries and collecting payments
- Network gird and power line maintenance
- Connecting new customers to the grid
- Connecting solar, batteries and electric vehicle chargers to the grid
- Restoring power outages or supply interruptions
- Repairing fallen or faulty power lines
- Meter reading
Horizon Power ‘My Account’
My Account is Horizon Power’s online customer portal where customers can access all their account and billing information. Using my account, customers can:
- Pay bills
- Update account details
- View electricity usage
- View past and upcoming bills
- Make enquiries
- Move house
- Apply for concessions
My Account can be accessed online by all Horizon Power customers.
Horizon Power App
The Horizon Power App is available for customers to download from the App Store and Google Play. This app allows bill-payers to access information regarding their usage, solar energy generation (if they have solar), billing information and power outages. Residential customers can also use the app to pre-purchase energy on specific tariffs. Horizon Power customers will need to use the same details as listed on their ‘My Account’ in order to access data on the app.
Electricity Tariffs on the Horizon Power Network
Horizon Power’s electricity tariffs are simple and practical with no discounts or gimmicks. There are two standard residential electricity tariffs and four business electricity tariffs.
Horizon Power’s standard residential electricity tariffs are the ‘A2 Residential Tariff’ and the ‘K2 Combined Use Tariff’. As the respective names suggest, the A2 Residential Tariff is your basic electricity deal. Customers on this tariff are charged a single rate for electricity, regardless of the time of day they use power or the amount of energy used. The K2 Combined Use Tariff is for customers who operate a home business. This includes farms, home surgeries, caretaker residences and more. To be eligible for this tariff, however the combined energy usage from the home and business cannot exceed 160 megawatt hours (MWh) per year. Customers on this plan are charged in block rates. Rates are as follows:
A2 Residential Tariff
| Supply rate | Usage rate |
|---|---|
| $1.0777/day | 30.0605c/kWh |
K2 Combined Use Tariff
| Supply rate | Usage Rate (First 20 units/day) | Usage Rate (21-1,630 units/day) | Usage Rate (>1,630 units/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.9017/day | 31.4035c/kWh | 29.5937c/kWh | 33.3658c/kWh |
Prices include GST and are accurate as of August, 2022.
Horizon Energy Prepaid Power
Residential energy customers on the Horizon Power network also have access to a Prepaid Power option. This product allows households to pre-purchase energy through the Horizon Power app and keep track of electricity usage. Plus, with the prepaid option, bill-payers can share power costs with others in the household or even among other households.
To be eligible for this product however, households will need to be on the A2 Residential Tariff, own an advanced meter, have access to the Horizon Power app and not have life support equipment in use at the property.
Horizon Power Business Electricity
Business electricity tariffs depend on what type of business you’re operating. There are four types of business electricity tariff. These are:
- C2 Community Service Tariff: Includes Community clubs, youth groups, non-profit groups, fire/rescue groups;
- D2 Charitable Accommodation Tariff: Emergency accommodation, homeless shelters, aged care and women hostels;
- L2 Small Businesses: Businesses that use up to 50 MWh of electricity per annum;
- L4 Medium/Large Businesses: Businesses that use more than 50 MWh of electricity per annum.
There are also special tariffs for government entities and a tailored option for Pilbara businesses that consume more than 1,200 MWh of power each year.
Horizon Power Solar
Customers must apply and receive approval from Horizon Power before they’re allowed to install a solar system. This is to allow for Horizon Power to ensure that the technical requirements of your solar installation can be met by your property and the network grid. Some areas of regional WA such as Broome, Denham and Exmouth, are currently unable to install new solar systems due to the network hitting capacity.
Regional WA’s energy network is made up of three interconnected networks and 32 small networks called microgrids. Because solar systems must be connected to an energy grid to feed-in excess electricity, there’s only so much electricity that a network can take. When a section of the network reaches capacity, unfortunately, Horizon Power must limit the number of households with access to the network for additional energy generation purposes.
If your solar application has been accepted by Horizon Power however, you should hear a response within 10 business days. Once you have a written approval, you’ll have three months to install your system. If you do not install your system during this time, your approval will become void and you’ll need to reapply.
Horizon Power customers with solar can also earn themselves 10c per kilowatt hour (kWh) for exporting their solar energy back into the grid during peak times (3pm-9pm) and 3c/kWh in off-peak times (9pm-3pm). This is awarded through the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS).
Horizon Power Company Information
Below we have listed some of Horizon Power’s important information, including the company’s contact details, coverage map and what to do during a power outage. It may be handy to keep these details close by if you live on the Horizon Power network.
Horizon Power Contact Details
Here are the contact details for Horizon Power customers:
- Account enquires: 1800 267 926 (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm)
- Report an outage or fault: 13 23 51 (24/7)
- International enquires: +61 861 197730 (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm)
- Prepayment account enquiry line: 1800 447 707 (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm)
- Report a faulty streetlight or pole: 1800 264 914 (24/7)
Horizon Power Coverage Map
As highlighted on the map (pictured right) Horizon Power operates across most Western Australia. Some of the areas included in this network are:
- Broome
- Exmouth
- Karratha
- Denham
- Coral Bay
- Hopetoun
- Point Samson
- Menzies
- Derby
- Kimberly
Horizon Power Outages
You can keep up to date with any power outages on the Horizon Power network through the Faults & Outages list on the Horizon Power website. Alternatively, you can check any outages in your area through the Horizon Power app.
Kelseigh Wrigley: Energy Content Producer
This page was written and is regularly updated by Canstar Blue’s energy content producer, Kelseigh Wrigley. As a qualified journalist, Kelseigh aims to light the way for everyday Aussies, helping them find a better deal on their energy plan. Whether it’s value for money, new incentives, deals on gas or solar, Kelseigh is keen to help customers put money back in their pockets.
Other WA Energy Retailers & Distributors
Horizon Power is one of two electricity retailers in Western Australia – the other being Synergy. While Horizon Power is an energy distributor as well as a retailer, Synergy is simply a retailer, with Western Power distributing electricity on the SWIS network where Synergy is operates. As for natural gas, ATCO services around 780,000 customers on its three gas networks, which caters for more than 80 per cent of the Perth metro area. Below are the power suppliers in WA.
Electricity:
- Horizon Power for regional Western Australia.
- Synergy for the south west including Perth, Kalgoorlie, Bunbury, Albany, Geraldton and Dongara.
- Western Power for regional and rural Western Australia.
Gas:
- The Mid-West and South-West Gas Distribution Systems for the Perth metropolitan area, Geraldton, Bunbury, Busselton, Harvey, Pinjarra, Kemerton, Capel and Mandurah.
- The Kalgoorlie Gas Distribution System for the Kalgoorlie-Boulder area.
- The Albany Gas Distribution System is an LPG network for the Albany area.
FAQs about Horizon Power
Who owns Horizon Power?
Horizon Power is owned by the Government of Western Australia. Its headquarters are located in Karratha.
What is Horizon Power?
Horizon Power generates, distributes and retails electricity to homes and businesses in regional and remote areas of Western Australia. It transports power via 56,081 poles over a network of 51,000 connection points. Horizon Power runs 8,356 kilometres of overhead and underground transmission lines in the state.
Can I choose an electricity provider other than Horizon Power?
Since the electricity market in Western Australia is still regulated, there isn’t much choice for electricity retailers or providers in the state. This means that if you live in regional or remote WA, your only choice for power – for both distributing and retailing – is Horizon Power. If you live in Perth, your electricity provider will be Synergy.
What fees and charges can I expect from Horizon Power?
Western Australia electricity prices are reasonable compared to the rest of the nation. But of course, don’t forget to check the extra fees and charges. Some notable account-related fees to keep in mind include:
- Account establishment fee – $24.42
- Overdue account notice – $5.90
- Rejected payment – $27.98 (Australia Post) / $2.54 (direct debit)
- Credit card fee – 0.34%
You can see the full list of Horizon Power fees here.