Understanding your energy service

Connecting electricity or gas to your home for the first time

This fact sheet explains the processes you need to follow to get electricity or gas services physically connected to your property for the first time.

Connecting electricity or gas to your property for the first time fact sheet

Energy efficiency in your home

Using electricity and gas efficiently is not only good for the environment, it can also help you save money. This fact sheet provides information on ways you can reduce the amount of energy you use in your home. 

Energy efficiency in the home fact sheet

Your energy rights

This brochure for household energy customers provides useful information to help control your energy service, such as shopping around, understanding rights and using the Energy Made Easy website to compare offers.  

Power to you fact sheet (brochure)

Power to you fact sheet (print version)

Energy retailers must comply with a number of specific rules when they market their offers to you. This fact sheet explains these rules and your rights when you get a marketing call or visit. 

Energy marketing - what are your rights fact sheet

Hardship and payment difficulties

Well informed energy customers can confidently deal with retailers before and after they sign up for a service. These brochures for energy customers and consumer caseworkers provides detailed information on customer rights, hardship and payment difficulties, billing, contracts and marketing. 

Managing energy services at home fact sheet

Hardship English fact sheet

Hardship English foldable flyer

Shopping around

Energy retailers compete for your business by offering you different energy contracts with varying prices, discounts and conditions. This fact sheet explains how you can shop around to get an energy offer that better suits your needs.  

Shopping around and changing your electricity/gas fact sheet

Energy bills

Part of understanding your energy service is understanding your energy bill. Energy bills are made up of a range of costs including wholesale and network charges as well as the costs of providing a retail service. This fact sheet shows the components of your energy bill and explains some of the reasons for increases in energy prices in Australia. 

About energy bills fact sheet

Having trouble paying your energy bill?

Energy retailers are required by law to help customers experiencing payment difficulties or hardship. This fact sheet explains your rights when paying your energy bill. 

Are you having trouble paying your energy bill fact sheet

Live in an embedded network? 

Visit our page dedicated to embedded network customers or read through this fact sheet on how to access an authorised retailer of your choice. 

How to access an authorised retailer of your choice if you live in an embedded network fact sheet

How to complain about your energy retailer

If you have a problem with your electricity or gas retailer, this fact sheet tells you the steps you can take to resolve it. 

What can I do if I have a complaint about my energy service fact sheet

Energy and essential medical equipment

This brochure provides information for consumers who rely on medical equipment and may be affected in the event that their power is cut off unexpectedly. This information outlines how a person can be ready and have a plan in place for unexpected power outages. 

Energy and essential medical equipment fact sheet

Energy and small businesses

This brochure is for small businesses in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, SA and Tasmania. It provides information on which businesses are considered ‘small customers’ under national energy laws, outlines the rights of small energy customers and discusses the benefits of switching retailers.

Energy and your business fact sheet

Exempt selling - obligations and customer rights

Exempt selling occurs when a person or business purchases energy from a retailer and on-sells the energy to their customers, commonly through what is called an embedded network

These fact sheets are aimed at exempt sellers and their customers, setting out their rights and obligations. 

Smart meters

This fact sheet applies to consumers in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, SA and Tasmania. If you require a new or replacement meter, it will be a smart meter. This fact sheet explains how you will be affected when a smart meter is installed, your rights and what to do if there is a problem. 

Smart meters and you fact sheet

Default Market Offer

This fact sheet explains the electricity price safety net and the AER's role in setting the Default Market Offer. 

Default Market Offer explained fact sheet

How to get the most out of your solar panels

These fact sheets explain how as a residential customer, community group or small business you can maximise the value of your solar PV system. Click on the relevant state/territory below.

Translated information

The AER has developed content for consumers that speak a language other than English to empower them as energy consumers.