Fact Checked

Simply Energy claims top spot in South Australian gas ratings

Natural gas is a pretty basic power source, but finding the right gas deal for your needs can be anything but simple. The gas market in South Australia has become quite competitive, and while this is good news for customers shopping around for cheaper megajoules, it means there are more providers and plans that you need to navigate. However, Canstar Blue aims to make the process of finding better value a little easier with our annual customer satisfaction review. We’ve surveyed hundreds of bill-paying customers across Adelaide and the surrounding areas to find out what they think about their gas supplier in respect of its customer service, bill & cost clarity, and the value for money it provides. Finding the right deal for you is about more than just the cheapest price – but getting a good deal certainly helps. So, which gas supplier has come out on top?

This year, we’ve seen Simply Energy claim top spot for the first time since 2017, taking back the crown from the ‘big three’ providers which have dominated the award for the last few years. We’ll shed some light on the specific factors that made this win possible below. Plus, read on for our up-to-date gas price comparison for SA.

Best Gas Suppliers in SA

Here are the best gas suppliers in South Australia as rated by customers in Canstar Blue’s latest satisfaction survey:

1. Simply Energy
2. AGL
3. Origin
4. EnergyAustralia

Making its comeback for top spot is Simply Energy, which has managed to steal the crown back from the ‘big three’ who have dominated the SA ratings for three consecutive years. Simply Energy received five stars for overall satisfaction, with AGL and Origin not far behind on four stars. EnergyAustralia falls behind with a clean sweep of three stars in our latest ratings.

Find out if the same is true in our customer ratings for electricity providers in South Australia, and if you’re keen to compare electricity and gas prices, you can do so with our comparison tool below. Or keep scrolling for a snapshot of cheap gas deals from our database.

Cheap Gas Prices SA – quick comparison

SA Gas Suppliers

Simply Energy

Simply Energy‘s gas plans in South Australia mirror the retailer’s electricity products, with two different options to consider. These include an exclusive deal for RAA members in SA that comes with a decent guaranteed discount, and another offer that simply spuriks a guaranteed discount, although it is more modest. All plans come with variable rates and Simply Energy may offer an additional bill credit for combining electricity with gas when you join, however this may not be available at all times.

• Simply Energy rated five stars for overall satisfaction, value for money, customer service and ease of sign-up. It earned four stars for its bill & cost clarity and online tools & advice. The retailer’s only three star rating went to its focus on environmental sustainability.

Simply Energy Gas Prices

Here are the Simply Energy gas plans on our database for SA. These estimated annual costs are based on the Australian Gas Network in Adelaide and yearly gas usage of 11,875MJ, but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. These are products from a referral partner†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.

AGL

AGL usually offers two gas plans in South Australia. Both of AGL’s plans have no exit fees or lock-in contracts. AGL has a habit of changing its plans fairly often, so keep an eye out for product changes and online sign-up credits which may be available at certain times. You’ll also gain access to AGL Rewards when signing up to a gas plan.

• Climbing its way back up the SA gas ratings, AGL received five stars for customer service, bill & cost clarity and online tools & advice. Across the rest of the research categories, including overall satisfaction, the retailer was rated four stars.

AGL Gas Prices

Here are the AGL gas plans on our database for SA. These estimated annual costs are based on the Australian Gas Network in Adelaide and yearly gas usage of 11,875MJ, but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. These are products from a referral partner†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.

Origin

Energy giant Origin has four gas market offers for South Australians, some with varying conditions based on personal preferences and others that come with value-add incentives. Prospective customers can choose between gas plans with variable rates or a plan which features fixed rates and Everyday Rewards points. These products all come with benefit periods of either 12 months or ongoing, depending on the plan. There are no exit fees with Origin’s plans nor are there any lock-in contracts. Customers may need to contact Origin to check eligibility on certain plans.

• Placing third this year, Origin has earned four star ratings across almost all the research categories, including overall satisfaction, value for money and customer service. The retailer’s only three star rating was for focus on environmental sustainability.

Origin Gas Prices

Here are the Origin gas plans on our database for SA. These estimated annual costs are based on the Australian Gas Network in Adelaide and yearly gas usage of 11,875MJ, but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. These are products from a referral partner†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.

EnergyAustralia

As one of the biggest electricity and gas companies in the country, you would expect EnergyAustralia to have plenty of offers for South Australians – and you’d be right. Guaranteed discounts are the order of the day, with personal preferences definitely coming into the decision-making process. Mirroring its electricity plans, the retailer has two gas plans on offer, both offering variable rates. For those just looking for a no fuss plan, EnergyAustralia has a ‘basic’ deal on an ongoing benefit period. However, this plan does come with slightly higher rates than the others. South Australians also have the ability to opt in to carbon neutral energy options with EnergyAustralia.

• In our latest SA gas review, EnergyAustralia has done a clean sweep of three stars across all research categories.

EnergyAustralia Gas Prices

Here are the EnergyAustralia gas plans on our database for SA. These estimated annual costs are based on the Australian Gas Network in Adelaide and yearly gas usage of 11,875MJ, but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. These are products from a referral partner†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.

Double up discounts for gas and electricity

While some gas suppliers allow you to sign up for gas only, in most cases they will encourage you to sign up for both electricity and gas together (dual fuel). Doing so could earn you an additional discount on top of the rates and discounts offered for electricity and gas individually. ‘Double up’ discounts have become fairly common – especially with the big retailers – but the percentage offered can vary from time to time. Be aware, however, that some retailers will only sign you up for gas if you also agree to switch your electricity, too. Generally, only the big three retailers will take on gas-only customers from the outset. That said, there is nothing stopping you switching both electricity and gas to a new retailer, and then switching out your electricity component again at a later date.

Standard gas contracts

In addition to the market offer gas products mentioned above, all four retailers in this year’s review also have standard gas contracts in South Australia. These are regulated contracts that you may be on if you have never switched gas suppliers, or haven’t switched in several years.

SA Gas Prices

In South Australia, natural gas typically costs 3-5 cents per megajoule (MJ) – the unit of measurement for gas. The exact price you’ll pay for gas in SA depends on a number of factors, including your gas retailer, plan and tariff. In SA, gas retailers charge for gas in ‘blocks’ of daily usage. For example, you might pay 4.2c per MJ for the first block of 30 megajoules, followed by 2.2 cents per MJ for all remaining usage. It’s important to check your energy plan information document for all rates. Some suppliers charge for gas in two daily blocks, while others charge in multiple increments. And the point at which different block rates apply can vary between plans. To put these prices into perspective, the average gas oven will use around 12 megajoules an hour.

In addition to these gas usage charges, also pay close attention to the daily supply charges in your price fact sheet. These are the costs you’ll need to pay simply for the pleasure of being connected to the gas network. These can add a significant amount to your overall bill – typically around 60c to 80c a day. It’s entirely possible that gas supply charges could contribute a higher proportion of your overall costs than gas usage charges, especially if you don’t use gas for hot water heating. So, be sure to check all the rates listed before making a decision.

Picking your gas supplier

There are lots of things to think about when it comes to picking a gas supplier for your home. We asked respondents to our survey in 2021 about their main reasons for initially picking their gas supplier. This is what we found:

• 17% were attracted by a big discount
• 16% shopped around and compared plans and prices
• 14% just went with a retailer name they recognised
• 11% picked the retailer that appealed most to them for other reasons (e.g. green credentials)
• 7% were attracted by a different sign-up incentive (e.g. movie tickets)

About 17 per cent of respondents gave other reasons for choosing their gas supplier, with 45 per cent simply choosing the same gas supplier as they have for electricity.

Almost half of gas customers in SA (41%) signed up to their supplier over the phone, while only 22 per cent did so online. This year, we found that 46 per cent of South Aussies think they get a good deal on gas.

Where does gas come from?

If you’re worried about signing up with a small gas supplier, remember that these companies are simply the customer-facing part of your overall service. They handle your billing and general enquiries, but it’s the gas distributors that are actually responsible for your supply. In South Australia, the gas distributor is Australian Gas Networks (formerly Envestra). This is who you will need to contact in the event of a gas leak or other emergency.

The gas you use for things like your hot water system or stove cooktop comes from a number of different sources. The majority of natural gas in Australia (around 60%) is used to generate electricity and the rest is piped to households and businesses throughout the distribution network. South Australia’s gas is sourced from Victoria, Queensland and the Cooper Basin, with six transmission pipelines delivering the gas to Adelaide and major regional areas. Retailers purchase this gas and sell it onto their customers. Transmission and distribution costs account for as much as 50% of your final bill. Households who can’t access the natural gas distribution network can purchase liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Getting a better deal on gas in SA

Customers connected to the gas distribution network can access one of two types of contracts with their gas supplier – standard contracts and market contracts. Understanding the difference is the first step to saving money.

• Standard contracts have prices set by the retailers, but they have various conditions still set out in law, including the fact that they have no contract period or exit fees.
• Market contracts are set almost entirely by the retailers. They have varying contract lengths and conditions, but often provide the opportunity to save through discounts.

Market contracts will almost always work out cheaper than standard contracts, provided that you meet the conditions of any discounts. Market contracts can come with either variable or fixed rates. If you haven’t switched plans in recent years, you will likely save money by switching to a new offer with a conditional discount or other sign-up incentive. Ultimately though, you will need to get to know usage and supply charges, and compare rates between different suppliers. If you think you’re paying too much for gas, you probably are. It’s the same deal when it comes to electricity, so make sure you shop around.

About the author of this page

This page was written and is regularly updated by Canstar Blue’s energy content producer, Kelseigh Wrigley. As a qualified journalist, Kelseigh aims to light the way for everyday Aussies, helping them find a better deal on their energy plan. Whether it’s value for money, new incentives, deals on gas or solar, Kelseigh is keen to help customers put money back in their pockets.

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