Guide to electricity providers in Darwin, NT

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This Canstar Blue guide to the Northern Territory energy market will take you through how it all works, answering any questions you may have in the process.

The NT energy market presents some unique challenges, with price regulation and an absence of mains gas at the top of that list. This guide discusses them all to help you choose the right energy provider, plan and price for your home in the NT.

Northern Territory electricity distribution zones

If you live in the Northern Territory, your electricity distributor is the government-owned Power and Water Corporation. Power and Water Corporation is responsible for owning and operating the power network in the NT, which includes responsibilities such as supplying electricity to homes and businesses and maintaining power lines, pipes, poles and meters necessary for transmission. The NT distributor services around 244,000 people, 10,520km of overhead lines, 3,200km of underground cables, and 37,500 poles and towers across 1.3 million square kms.

The NT is separated into three regulated network grids:

• The northern network grid: the Darwin and Katherine regions, including Batchelor, Adelaide River, Pine Creek, Mataranka and Larrimah, servicing around 150,000 people.
• The southern electrical grid: the Alice Springs region services about 28,000 people.
• The Tennant Creek network grid: Tennant Creek region, servicing around 7,000 people.

Northern Territory and Darwin electricity providers

Households and businesses in the NT have a choice of five electricity retailers*:

• EDL NGD 
• Jacana Energy
• Next Business Energy
• Power and Water Corporation (both distributor and retailer)
• Rimfire Energy

*Some of these retailers are only available to business customers. 

Northern Territory electricity prices

The Northern Territory has a unique energy pricing model. The government regulates NT electricity prices for residential and small business customers using less than 750 Megawatt hours (MWh) of power a year. This means that the NT government sets electricity prices once a year, which retailers pass on to their customers, and that electricity usage and supply charges are also the same across the territory.

The NT is technically open to pricing competition and while Rimfire Energy has increased its market share, state-owned Jacana Energy currently dominates the market. According to the Utilities Commission Northern Territory Electricity Retail Review (NTERR), there are a few key barriers to competition in the region:

• The government’s uniform tariff policy regulates the maximum tariff retailers can charge
• The requirement for customers to have an interval meter, which can cost up to $400 to install in order to switch retailers

Jacana Energy electricity prices

A strong majority of residential customers in Darwin and surrounds (over 88,000 homes) are connected by government-owned Jacana Energy. This retailer offers four residential plans: Everyday Home, Switch to Six, Prepayment and Multipurpose. The Everyday Home plan has a single rate tariff, the Switch to Six plan has a time of use tariff and Multipurpose has a block rate tariff.

Prices sourced from Jacana Energy website, March 2025.

Rimfire Energy electricity prices

Rimfire is the largest non-government electricity provider in the NT. Due to the NT’s fully regulated energy market, you’ll pay the same rates for power with Rimfire Energy as with state-owned Jacana Energy, however, Rimfire Energy also offers a 2.5% pay on time discount to customers. You’ll need an eligible smart meter or a remote-read interval meter to sign up for its single rate standard or time of use plans.

Prices sourced from Rimfire Energy website, March 2025.

You can find business tariffs and rates on the Rimfire Energy website.

Northern Territory solar Feed-in Tariffs

Households with solar have limited options for feed-in tariffs in Darwin, NT. Only two retailers — Jacana Energy and Rimfire Energy — offer solar feed-in tariffs in the NT. The tariffs available are considered as fairly standard when compared to what’s on offer in other states and territories in Australia.

Prices sourced from respective retailer’s websites, March, 2025
~The NT Government is removing the premium FiT for those receiving this tariff for over four years.
*Must install solar system with Rimfire Energy to be eligible.

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Natural gas in the Northern Territory

In the NT, most households aren’t connected to the mains gas. This means that electric stovetops and hot water heating are much more common than in other parts of Australia. The select few that are connected to mains supply primarily reside in Alice Springs, where gas connections are occasionally present. These households are supplied by Australian Gas Networks (AGN). According to the AGN website, there are currently 1,156 homes connected to mains gas in the Northern Territory. 

Due to the lack of accessibility to mains gas, there isn’t a competitive market for natural gas providers in the region. There is, however, a market for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply in the NT. Rather than getting gas through a pipe, LPG is generally delivered in a gas bottle. In the NT, LPG gas for residential use is available in 45kg, 90kg and 210kg sizes.

LPG power companies Darwin and Northern Territory

There is a range of LPG suppliers big and small in Darwin, Alice Springs and the rest of the NT. Here are some of the bigger brands on offer:

• Elgas
• Origin Energy
• Supagas

Most of these retailers encourage you to schedule regular deliveries to ensure you never run out of gas.

Northern Territory gas prices

Paying for gas usage is one thing, but there are also costs that come with renting the bottle itself. Prices for bottled gas can vary depending on your location and what company you are purchasing from. 

According to Elgas, a 45kg gas bottle can last anywhere between a month and a year, depending on how often gas is used. 

You will need to contact the gas suppliers through their websites for current gas cylinder prices.

How to choose an energy provider in the Northern Territory

With just two residential providers operating in the Northern Territory, the retail market in the state is notably noncompetitive. The vast majority of households will be with Jacana Energy. The incentive to switch is lost in a lack of pricing competition, making NT households base their decision on other value-adds such as customer service or green initiatives. 

On the other hand, the gas market presents a few more options. While a gas mains connection isn’t possible for most households, there’s an opportunity to save by choosing LPG. Prices aren’t regulated, so there’s value in shopping around for a good deal — especially for households using gas for cooking and heating water. 

Canstar Blue publishes an annual survey of LPG providers’ customers to help determine which is the best for you. Click the below link to start comparing LPG providers now.

Best-Rated LPG Suppliers

Original reporting by Monika Gudova
Image Source: Sina Ettmer Photography/Shutterstock.com