Alinta Energy energy

Alinta Energy is among the major electricity and gas retailers in Australia, with a growing residential customer base across five states.   

If the name ‘Alinta Energy’ sounds familiar, it might be because of its ongoing shirt sponsorship deal with the Australian men’s cricket team. While this makes the retailer a familiar name, it doesn’t help customers decide if they offer the most suitable energy plan. Alinta Energy says it believes in offering “simple, competitive energy”. This, in practice, means that the company offers just one type of market retail contract, along with the standard contract as required by Australia’s energy laws. Currently, Alinta Energy supplies electricity and gas in New South Wales (NSW), Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia (SA), and gas alone in Western Australia (WA).

Your energy needs can depend a lot on your location and people living in colder places may prefer gas as a cheaper alternative for household space and water heating. Typically, buying both electricity and gas from the same energy provider can work out cheaper and Alinta Energy is one such provider where that applies. Customers in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, and SA can compare Alinta’s HomeDeal electricity and gas plans with the company’s standard contract, as well as the plans offered by its competitors to find the most suitable plan. In SA, Alinta’s energy plans are called ‘No Fuss’ electricity and gas. 

Customers should remember that the terms and conditions of the standard electricity contract offered by Alinta or another energy provider must comply with the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER’s) Default Market Offer (DMO) in NSW, southeast Queensland and South Australia. The DMO also specifies the maximum electricity tariff that Alinta can charge customers opting for the standard contract. Further, in Victoria, Alinta’s standard electricity contract must comply with the Victoria Default Offer (VDO). Given that there are five electricity distributors and three gas distributors in Victoria, Alinta offers a variety of standing contracts, each with different tariffs.

The electricity and gas prices offered by Alinta Energy depend on the distribution networks from which the company buys energy in different states. In NSW, for instance, Alinta buys electricity from all three distributors - Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, and Essential Energy - and natural gas from the sole gas distribution network, Jemena. Alinta customers in different parts of Sydney may have to pay different amounts as supply charges as both Ausgrid and Endeavour distribute electricity in the city. Similarly, residents in Port Macquarie buying electricity from Alinta would be billed the network fees charged by Essential Energy. Note that the supply charges may also include Alinta’s profit margin and any applicable environmental schemes’ cost. 

The company doesn’t offer electricity plans in Western Australia, where the state government has not completely deregulated the electricity market. On the other hand, though Alinta Energy is one of five energy retailers offering gas plans in WA, the maximum gas prices that retailers can charge are determined by the state. Alinta and other retailers can charge customers fees for meter reading and testing, credit card payment, reconnection, and different gas works which are not regulated by the state. 

In addition to the standard gas plan, Alinta also offers a ‘Sports Pack’ gas plan for residential customers in WA targeted at sports-loving customers, particularly those going for the Australian Men’s cricket team. 

Residential customers buying gas or electricity from Alinta may be eligible for the company’s rewards shop, as well as for its VIP experiences and competitions. The rewards shop - also called ‘Positive Energy Rewards’ and offered through Alinta’s partnership with Neat Ideas - gives customers discounts on movie and theme park tickets, gift cards, and electronics. 

Alinta Energy customers can find out more about the rewards program by calling 08-6389-0055 or email their questions to [email protected]. In addition to rewards, Alinta also offers competition prizes such as one year of free electricity for customers on Australia’s East Coast and tickets to various cricket matches. Some of these rewards, such as the cricket match tickets, may only be offered during a specific time of the year.

Customers should note that these rewards are in addition to any discounts they may be eligible for on your energy bill. For instance, you could get a discount for paying your bill on time or paying it through a particular payment method such as a direct debit. You should confirm that the details of such discounts are mentioned in your energy contract and check what you need to do to get the discount. 

Alinta customers can also access the concessions and rebates offered by different state governments to eligible individuals or households. For instance, low-income households in Victoria could be eligible for the annual energy concession or the excess electricity or gas concession. Similarly, pensioners in Queensland could be eligible for the state’s Electricity Rebate.

The bill you receive from Alinta Energy for your gas or electricity connection typically includes a summary of your charges on the front or first page of your bill and a detailed calculation of the charges on the back or second page. When you read the bill, the first thing to look for is the supply address mentioned on the front, which should be the home address for residential customers. Next, you can check that the bill is usually for the latest three months, mentioned as the “dates this account covers”. 

There are two key things to check on the front of the bill: the last payment you made and the current payment due. You should confirm that the last payment amount and date are correct, and also check the date by which the current payment is due. Typically, the bill would mention the discounted amount you have to pay on or before the due date and the full amount due if you don’t pay on time. The front of the bill also mentions your customer number, the gas or electricity reference number and the energy plan you’ve chosen. If any of these details are incorrect, you can contact Alinta at the number mentioned on the bill or through the Alinta Energy website.

On the back or second page of the bill, you’ll find the detailed calculation of energy charges based on the current and previous meter readings. You can confirm these figures by checking the meter installed on your property, which would have a reading somewhat close to the current reading mentioned on the bill accounting for the days passed since the meter was read. The latest date of reading the meter and the next date should be mentioned on your bill as well, along with the suggestion to ensure your meter is accessible close to the next reading date. 

The tariff applicable as per your energy plan would also be mentioned on the back of the bill.  People facing financial difficulties can contact Alinta Energy at the number mentioned to arrange a more suitable payment plan. Any information regarding new Alinta products may also be included above this part of the bill. 

If you’re an existing Alinta customer moving to a new home, you should check if the new address is serviced by Alinta Energy. This may be straightforward to check if moving within the same city but may require calling Alinta to check when moving to another state. Also, if there is already an electricity or gas connection at the new address, with Alinta as the supplier, you may simply need to call them and request them to turn on the connection by giving them the new address. You can contact Alinta Energy at their support number 13 37 02 to make the request.

If you’re moving to a new address in a location for which Alinta Energy is the provider, but you are not an existing Alinta customer, you can apply to them for a new connection. Note that Alinta Energy may require your permission for a credit score check before they can approve your application. If they approve your application, you can choose the electricity or gas plan you require. If multiple energy retailers offer plans in the area you’re moving to, you can compare reviews of Alinta Energy with those of other providers in terms of the energy contracts and tariffs offered. You can also think about switching to Alinta Energy when moving houses even if your previous supplier offers plans in your new neighbourhood. You could then call Alinta with a connection request, and they’d speak to your previous energy provider to arrange the switch.

New customers who have just signed a contract with Alinta Energy or who’ve received a contract have the right to cancel the contract within 10 business days. They can simply send the cancellation notice by post or email without needing to specify any reason for cancelling the contract. Existing customers who usually want to switch to another provider don’t need to cancel their Alinta Energy contract. They can apply for a new connection with another energy provider who’d then contact Alinta Energy and make arrangements for switching the energy connection.