Kleenheat has stolen the spotlight back in this year’s customer satisfaction ratings for WA gas suppliers. It achieved five-star reviews across most categories, including bill and cost clarity, online tools and advice, overall satisfaction and value for money.
Each year, Canstar Blue surveys hundreds of gas customers across WA to find out which suppliers are living up to expectations. With so much competition and bonus incentives now on offer, there’s no reason why you should settle for anything less than five-star value and service. This year’s review has compared AGL, Kleenheat and Alinta Energy on customer satisfaction. Origin and Simply Energy did not achieve the minimum sample size required to be included in the ratings. Keep in mind, while this report looks at three of the most prominent retailers in WA there may be others operating in your area.
Canstar Blue surveyed 594 Western Australian households for their feedback on their natural gas retailer. Respondents had to live in Western Australia, have a gas account and pay the bills for their response to be eligible.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their natural gas provider from zero to ten, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and ten is extremely satisfied. Provider satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Best WA Natural Gas Providers:
Taking back top spot this year is Kleenheat which received five stars for overall satisfaction. AGL managed to score four stars overall while Alinta Energy brought up the rear with just three stars overall.
Find more detailed information on our ratings methodology.
Here are some of the cheapest gas deals on our database for WA. These estimated annual costs are based on the ATCO Network in Perth and yearly gas usage of 7,672 (units), but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. We show one product per retailer, listed in order of lowest estimated cost. This table contains products from referral partners†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.
As this year’s winner, Kleenheat managed to score a clean sweep of five-star ratings.
Kleenheat is part of the Wesfarmers group, which also includes retail brands Target, Kmart, Bunnings and Officeworks. This connection can pay off, with Kleenheat offering further savings for RAC members as well as additional Flybuys points that can be earned for every dollar spent on gas bills. A $50 welcome bonus is also up for grabs for new customers who switch their natural gas to the Monthly Smart Saver plan or Standard Form Contract. Kleenheat generally offers customers a choice between three plans in WA.
Here are the Kleenheat gas plans on our database for WA. These estimated annual costs are based on the ATCO Network in Perth and yearly gas usage of 7,672 (units), but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This table includes 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 was rated four stars for overall satisfaction this year, as well as for its customer service, ease of sign-up and online tools and advice. It managed a notable five stars for its value for money and bill and cost clarity.
AGL Energy was the first of the big two energy companies (the other being Origin) to make the move to Western Australia in 2017, now offering residential customers two different gas plans to choose from. All AGL’s WA gas plans come with no lock-in contracts and the promise of 24/7 customer support. AGL also has a rewards program from which customers can apply for discounts on things like gift cards, restaurants and movie tickets.
Here are the AGL gas plans on our database for WA. These estimated annual costs are based on the ATCO Network in Perth and yearly gas usage of 7,672 (units), but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This table includes 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.
Alinta Energy scored three stars for overall satisfaction and its online tools and advice in this year’s ratings. In all other categories, this retailer received four stars, bar bill and cost clarity, where it managed to notch up to five stars.
A major gas and electricity retailer across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, Alinta Energy maintains a strong presence in Perth as it attempts to fight off the challenge of the newer retailers to set up shop in the west. Acquired by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises – a Hong Kong based conglomerate – in 2017, Alinta certainly seems to have reacted to the increased competition in WA, offering generous discounts off gas usage charges and no lock-in contracts across all products. It also has a rewards program that brings money off various entertainment activities.
Here are the Alinta Energy gas plans on our database for WA. These estimated annual costs are based on the ATCO Network in Perth and yearly gas usage of 7,672 (units), but prices may 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.
Given that the overall price you pay for natural gas will likely be determined by the size of the discount you receive, it’s important to look for other value-add incentives when it comes to picking the plan and provider that’s best for you. As mentioned in this report, all of the gas retailers in WA have some point of difference in the market, whether that’s because they have a rewards program which delivers savings on something that interests you, or because they offer additional perks like movie tickets.
The point is that it’s important to make your decision based on several factors, which should include how that retailer is rated by its existing customers.
Kelseigh Wrigley covers Australia’s retail energy market, growing her industry specific expertise over the last two years. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology and has contributed her skills to online publications Hunter & Bligh and local radio station 4ZZZ.
Meet the Editorial Team
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and two years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Meet the Research TeamThe following gas suppliers currently offer residential plans in Western Australia, including the Perth area:
Gas prices in Western Australia remain regulated by the state government for small usage customers. A customer is considered to be ‘small use’ if the property uses less than one terajoule (TJ) of natural gas per annum. This realistically includes all households and most small businesses. This means the providers are set a limit as to what they can charge customers.
The price of natural gas in WA is predominately made up of supply and usage charges:
Customers in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Albany areas of WA are charged a standard flat rate for their natural gas usage. But customers in mid-west/south-west WA (i.e. Perth, Geraldton, Carnamah and all the surrounding areas) are typically charged in block usage rates. Under this pricing structure, customers receive one rate for the first 12 units (43.2 MJ) of gas used per day, and a lower rate for any additional gas usage beyond that. To put that into perspective, the average gas oven will use around 12 megajoules an hour.
Discounts really can make the difference when it comes to the overall price you could pay in WA, with up to 56% off gas usage charges now on offer. The extra incentives offered by the retailers can also help you decide which plan delivers the best overall value for your money.
Our customer satisfaction ratings are based on the feedback of natural gas customers, rather than those who purchase bottled LPG. To connect natural gas to your home or business, you must live in an area with reticulated gas mains. As you can see from the map (right), supplied by the WA Department of Finance, natural gas is only available in the most populated regions of the state, including the areas surrounding Perth, Busselton, Gingin, Albany, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Geraldton, Mullewa and Carnamah.
Alinta Energy services all of the highlighted areas in the map, while Kleenheat, Origin, AGL and Simply Energy can only service the regions along the western coast, from Busselton to Geraldton, which includes the greater Perth area. In Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Albany, Alinta is the only residential natural gas provider. If natural gas is not available to your property, a gas supplier may be able to arrange a quote from the network operator to extend the gas mains to your home or business. However, this is only practical if the property is already near a gas network. Alternatively, if the property is in a remote area, the only option is bottled LPG. Kleenheat, Alinta, AGL and Origin operate LPG services in some areas.
The natural gas mains system in WA is operated and maintained by ATCO Gas Australia (formerly WA Gas Networks). This is who you should contact if anything goes wrong with your gas supply, or in case of an emergency, such as a gas leak. ATCO is responsible for meter readings and passes this information onto your energy retailer for billing purposes. Your retailer – be it Alinta, Kleenheat, Origin, AGL or Simply Energy – will then bill you for your gas usage and collect the additional supply charges on behalf of ATCO.
Our survey of WA gas customers found that a clear majority (70%) are happy with their existing gas suppliers and don’t want to switch. Almost a third (30%) of Western Australians chose a gas provider based on name recognition, with 33% opting for a brand that offered the biggest discount.
Interestingly, our research found that natural gas customers in Western Australia are generally more satisfied with their service than customers in other states of Australia. However, with new retailers likely to join the residential gas market in the years to come, customers should regularly review their energy options and compare plans in their area. While WA gas prices remain regulated, the retailers can still compete to offer the best deals and service.
Here are the previous winners of Canstar Blue’s Natural Gas Suppliers – WA Customer Satisfaction Award:
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