If you’ve ever jumped on daily deals website Catch.com.au to bag a bargain on things like cheap gadgets, homewares or groceries, get ready to be offered a new electricity plan, with the promise of big savings.
Catch has partnered with established electricity retailer 1st Energy to offer what’s being described as “the great Australian energy deal”. It follows the retailer’s recent move into the prepaid phone plan market.
Catch’s General Manager of Operations, Russell Proud, told Canstar Blue that 1st Energy will bring the “knowledge and experience” of Australian electricity retail to the new business, while Catch will focus on the marketing side, delivering a brand that provides great value without the kinds of dodgy retail tactics that the industry has become synonymous with in recent years.
“This is a brand that will deliver good value all the time, not just when it suits the retailer,” Mr Proud said. “We want to remove the confusion that’s prevalent in the energy industry and make things a lot simpler for consumers who just want a good deal.”
Catch will initially begin marketing its new energy offering at existing subscribers, with more than 1.3 million consumers making a purchase from the deals website over the last 12 months. And Mr Proud is confident that the retailer will be “extremely competitive” in the states where it operates.
Like 1st Energy, Catch Energy will be available in New South Wales, Victoria and South East Queensland from launch, which is expected to be in early April.
While customers will soon be able to sign up via the Catch website, inbound phone calls will be handled by the 1st Energy customer service team.
The Catch Energy Saver
Catch.com.au will offer a single market contract in each state, named the Catch Energy Saver. This plan will come with no conditional discounts, no exit fees, no credit card fees, and – unusually for an energy company – no late payment fees!
Customers who sign up before the end of April will receive up to $130 in CatchBack shopping vouchers to spend on the deals website. Those who are not Club Catch members will receive $100 in vouchers.
Mr Proud said the plan will only be available on a flat rate tariff, so customers know they’ll be paying the same competitive prices whatever the time of day.
“We’re all about simplicity and transparency,” said Mr Proud. “We want to create an energy provider that rewards our loyal customers with great deals, and at the moment we’re giving away up to $130 in CatchBack vouchers.”
With no discounts being offered, Mr Proud said such promotional offers could be the retailer’s main point of difference in a hugely competitive energy market.
Original author: Simon Downes, former Canstar Blue Editor-in-Chief
Share this article