You can use simple manual methods (such as timers) or move some apparatus based on Time of Use tariff periods to change when you use electricity and save money.
Network and metering charges form part of the electricity bill you receive from your energy retailer. The other main charge is for the electricity you consume.
There are two main ways you can manage the cost of electricity to your business.
The first is by ensuring you are on the best tariff and plan for the nature of your business and in particular, maximising financial advantages offered by Time of Use tariff arrangements.
The second is to make the most of opportunities to improve energy efficiency in your operations – including the management of network demand charges.
There are different classes of tariffs, depending on whether you draw your power from low or high voltage networks. There are also different categories of tariffs depending on when you use the most power.
Our Tariff Structure Statement to apply from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2026 makes some significant changes to our structures in order to provide greater choice and control for business customers.
You’ll need to speak with your energy retailer to negotiate any changes to your tariff rates.
From July 2020, the time we measure demand for large business customers using over 160MWh per year will be changed from all hours of the day to 8am to 8pm workdays. This provides an incentive for large businesses to, when possible, make the most of opportunities to shift high electricity loads into times when lower tariff prices apply.
Charges for large electricity users click here.
View large electricity users chargesImproving your business’ energy efficiency could also help reduce your electricity bill. We have listed some initiatives below that may help but recommend you seek expert advice to decide the best option for your business. Specialist advisors can help with energy audits and technical support.
Power factor is a measure of how effectively you are using your power inside your business. It will vary from month to month, depending on usage patterns. You can improve a low power factor in your business by installing corrective equipment like capacitors that help decrease your total electricity demand.
You can use simple manual methods (such as timers) or move some apparatus based on Time of Use tariff periods to change when you use electricity and save money.
Customers without a dedicated transformer may receive help from installing a voltage optimiser at their main switchboard that dynamically controls the output voltage in the ‘ideal’ range.
The large roofs of some commercial, industrial, and retail buildings make solar PV a viable option for generating some of your own electricity. Solar hot water may also be beneficial for customers such as hotels that use large amounts of hot water.
We are members of the Clean Energy Council, and their accredited installers can advise on designs and plans for large-scale systems. Please ensure you compare the potential outcomes of a solar system and how it may affect or interact with other alternatives for energy efficiency as part of the business case.
If you go down this path, then you will also need to communicate with us to pre-approve any connection to the network to enable exports of any excess generation ability.
While batteries can be an integral part of your overall energy management system, it has been shown that a complete energy system that integrates these along with renewable energy sources, standby generators and the grid supplies the optimum energy solution for your business. The benefit of this includes better demand management, power quality issue mitigation and a lowering of energy consumption costs while still supplying a reliable source of back-up power.
This is a computerised control system which manages electricity load so that all appliances are not running at the same time. This may also involve:
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