In Australia, competition between energy retailers is highest in the parts of the country’s southeast. Lower Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria are served by dozens of electricity retailers. As a result, customers can choose from a large number of energy plans, provided they’re willing to spend time searching for information and comparing offers from different providers.
This exercise need not involve checking electricity and gas prices alone - customers often want to sign up for plans that offer additional benefits or discounts as well. For instance, Dodo Power and Gas gives customers discounted prices when they bundle their energy plan with an internet plan. Customers should remember that Dodo’s electricity and gas deals may not be available in all postcodes and do not automatically mean lower energy bills.
How do I choose a Dodo Power and Gas energy plan?
Like most energy retailers, Dodo buys electricity and gas from different distribution networks and supplies them to customers. Accordingly, the energy plans offered vary from postcode to postcode, as do the electricity and gas rates.
When looking for suitable Dodo energy plans, whether on the retailer’s webpage or a comparison site, customers should make sure they enter their postcode to get the right prices. Both electricity and gas prices comprise a fixed supply charge and a variable usage charge, with the supply charge likely to vary depending on the distribution network. The usage charges differ based on the electricity and gas tariff included in the plan chosen by the customer.
Dodo offers its customers the following types of electricity tariffs:
- Residential General Domestic (GD): A flat rate tariff, customers pay the same usage charge irrespective of how much electricity they use or when they use it.
- Residential GD and Controlled Load: Customers who can install separate meters for heavy-duty appliances can choose this tariff and bring down usage charges. Usually, the electricity price of the controlled load is lower than that for the rest of the household.
- Residential GH/GL: This demand or time-of-use tariff allows customers to take advantage of lower electricity rates at certain times on specific days. For instance, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM, electricity usage is billed at a peak rate, while night-time usage on weekdays and all weekend usage are billed at an off-peak rate. To get this tariff, customers may need to install a smart meter if their existing meter doesn’t support time-of-use tariffs. Also called residential interval meters, these smart meters can transmit usage data for every 30-minute interval without needing a technician to visit and read the meter.
In terms of gas tariffs, some of Dodo’s gas plans include block tariffs, with customers charged a lower rate for gas usage beyond a specified limit. Effectively, their gas usage is billed differently for the two blocks of usage. Customers in Victoria, which often has colder winters, can also opt for plans offering a different gas rate in winter than in summer. It is usually cheaper to use gas for space and water heating in winter, and gas demand is consequently higher. Energy retailers may accordingly offer lower gas prices in winter to offset the higher usage.
Dodo’s electricity and gas prices can also depend on the kind of contract customers sign up for. In NSW, southeast Queensland, and South Australia, energy retailers are required by law to offer standing contracts whose prices and terms of service are governed by the Australian Energy Regulator’s (AER’s) default market offer. The Victorian Default Offer is a similar regulation in that state, with which Dodo and other retailers have to comply. Apart from these standing contracts, retailers in all four states can offer market retail contracts and set their own prices. Customers should remember that market contracts can include lower energy prices, although these can change at the retailer’s discretion.
For example, residential customers living in postcode 3000 can choose an electricity plan from as many as five market offers and five standing offers, each with a different electricity tariff or combination of tariffs. All these plans involve just one electricity distribution network, CitiPower, while gas plans for the same postcodes are offered by two networks - Envestra and Multinet. For each of the gas networks, Dodo offers a standing contract and a market contract gas plan.
Therefore, choosing an energy plan requires figuring out how much energy your household may need, in summer and winter, and then checking the plans and tariffs available in your neighbourhood. You can check whether you are a low, medium, or high electricity or gas customer using Dodo’s usage options guide. If you still aren’t sure about the right plan for your home, you can choose a basic plan and then contact Dodo at a later time to see if you can switch to a more affordable plan. Dodo customers in NSW and Victoria can also check if they are eligible for the retailer’s best offer entitlement.
Can I supplement the energy I purchase from Dodo with solar power?
You can install solar photovoltaic panels on your property and use the electricity generated in addition to the electricity purchased from Dodo. Further, if your solar installation generates more electricity than you need in your home, you can sell the unused power to Dodo in exchange for energy bill credits. While many of Dodo’s energy plans include a solar feed-in tariff, you may need to apply separately to sell the excess solar power. You can call Dodo’s contact number - 13 36 36 - to find out more. Consider checking if you also qualify for any of the solar-themed rebates offered by your state’s government.
Customers who haven’t installed solar panels, but want to go in for renewable energy can opt for GreenPower. Dodo buys electricity sourced from renewables and offers to supply a certain percentage of such electricity as per the customer’s preference. Currently, customers can choose to buy GreenPower, amounting to either 10 per cent or 100 per cent of their household energy consumption. The additional cost involved in supplying GreenPower will be added to their energy bill along with the applicable usage charges.
Does Dodo Power and Gas offer any discounts or rebates?
Depending on the energy contract you’ve signed with Dodo, you may get a pay-on-time discount of up to 20 per cent for clearing your energy bills by the due date. If you’ve chosen to pay your bills in instalments, all the instalments must be paid by the due date. You may also get a discount if you’ve purchased a bundle of energy and internet plans from Dodo. If you live in parts of NSW and Victoria, where such bundles are available, you could get a discount of up to $120 annually. Customers in Queensland and South Australia can receive up to $60 in discounts.
If you qualify for various concessions and rebates offered by your state government, you can share the details of such concessions with Dodo Power and Gas. The retailer will verify that you are still eligible for the rebate and then credit the relevant rebate amount to your energy bill. Consider checking the respective state government websites to find out whether you qualify for a rebate.
Will I incur moving charges if I transfer my Dodo Power and Gas connection?
If you’re an existing Dodo customer moving your energy connection to a new area, you won’t be charged any fees by the retailer. However, you may have to pay any disconnection and connection fees charged by the distribution networks. You should tell Dodo Power at least three business days before you move and specify your new address, the date you’re moving, the date you want to start services at your new address. You may need to confirm your identity when placing this request. You can request to transfer your electricity connection urgently, even on the same day, but transferring a gas connection may take longer. If you’ve opted for a bundled plan, including an internet plan, you’ll need to lodge a separate request to move your internet connection.