New South Wales Electricity Plans

Understanding electricity in NSW

You may not realise it, but thanks to something called ‘distribution zones’, you’ll likely be paying different rates for power than households in other parts of NSW. It’ll be more pricey for your mates in Northern NSW to connect to power than your house in Sydney, and that’s because distribution costs account for as much as 50 per cent of your total energy bill. 

In NSW, the distribution networks are:

• Ausgrid: Inner, Northern, Eastern and Southern Sydney, Newcastle. 
• Endeavour Energy: Western Sydney, Wollongong, Shoalhaven.
• Essential Energy: Regional NSW, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga.

Unfortunately, you can’t change distribution zones without moving house, but knowledge of where the power is cheaper may sway serious savers when choosing their next home.

Most Satisfied Customers Award – NSW Provider

Each year at Canstar Blue, we release an annual satisfaction rating for electricity providers in New South Wales. In this report, providers are ranked based on value for money, customer service, bill & cost clarity, ease of sign-up, focus on environmental sustainability, online tools and advice and overall satisfaction. 

Red Energy has dominated this award for the last eight years, consecutively scoring top marks from New South Wales electricity customers.

Outstanding Value Award – NSW Provider

Canstar Blue’s Outstanding Value Awards are based on our unique value rank methodology and highlights the electricity providers that offer superior prices, value and features for consumers in each eligible state or territory. 

In 2022, Powershop was awarded for Outstanding Value in New South Wales after being one of most competitively priced retailers across all three of NSW’s distribution networks, during the observational period.

Learn more about electricity in New South Wales

Why compare NSW electricity plans with Canstar Blue?

About our energy experts

Tara Donnelly, Utilities Editor

Tara Donnelly is Canstar Blue’s Utilities Editor, leading the team that focuses on energy, telecommunications and consumer technology, across news, reviews and how-tos. Tara has spent more than a decade covering these topics in Australia, the US and Canada, which means she’s written about countless product launches and industry changes, including the rise of 5G, Australia’s ongoing NBN rollout, the recent years of energy price volatility and the rise of renewable energy sources.

Tara also has long experience in writing within the comparison industry, giving her great insights into the information consumers want when determining which plan or device will best meet their needs, while time spent in the financial sector before turning her talent to content lets her crunch the numbers on price with ease. Tara leads the coverage of Canstar Blue’s ratings and awards for the internet and phone sectors and is an expert at advising consumers on how to use comparison tools to find the best power, internet or phone deal.

Her expertise has seen her appear in national media including 9 News, 7 News, Sunrise, the ABC, The New Daily and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Breanna Gream, Data Insights Team Lead

Bachelor of Business (Finance) with Distinction & Bachelor of Mathematics (Applied Computational Modelling) with Distinction, QUT

Breanna Gream is Canstar’s Data Insights Team Lead, responsible for developing the methodology and delivering Canstar Blue’s Value Ranking and determining Outstanding Value award winners for the energy and telecommunications sectors. Breanna completed a double Bachelor’s degree in Business, majoring in Finance, and Mathematics, majoring in Applied Computational Modelling, at the Queensland University of Technology.

Breanna enjoys using her skills to help consumers find more suitable utilities plans by transforming complex calculations into a Value Rank that provides a simpler way to compare different products. She most recently developed Value Ranking methodologies for wireless broadband plans and solar energy plans, to make it easier for households to identify plans that provide good value not just in terms of prices but also the features they offer. Breanna’s work on Value Ranking plays a key part in determining the winners of Canstar Blue’s Outstanding Value awards for electricity, gas, solar, phone and internet brands.

Many of the articles published by Canstar Blue feature calculations also undertaken by Breanna and her team, which converts pricing data into easy-to-understand cost forecasts and average price information for readers.

During her time at Canstar Blue, Breanna has developed an in-depth knowledge of product, market and regulatory changes across the electricity, solar, gas, internet and phone sectors, and particularly likes keeping Canstar Blue’s methodologies up to date and reflective of the ever-changing utilities environment. 

When Breanna’s not crunching data, she’s likely to be somewhere remote – two of her favourite things to do are hiking and mountain climbing.