Energy Locals review

Energy Locals is one of the smaller electricity retailers in Australia. Here's what you need to know before deciding whether to switch to Energy Locals.

CHOICE staff

Energy Locals sells electricity to over 14,000 households, or under 1% of Australia's residential customers, according to 2018/19 figures. Energy Locals joined the Australian market in 2016 as one of the newest retailers on the market. It claims to offer cheaper energy, great service, carbon offsets and zero hassle. Energy Locals is one of the few energy retailers that has a fixed fee membership that claims to give you the cheapest usage rates.

On this page:

Which states does Energy Locals supply?
CHOICE Expert rating on EnergyAustralia
CHOICE verdict on Energy Locals
Energy Locals energy sources
Energy Locals prices

Energy Locals was established in 2016, and currently has over 14,000 customers. It is a locally owned entity, privately owned. Its head office is in Richmond, Victoria.

The company does not own any power generation plants, it buys its power from power stations and sells it on.

Energy Locals has a strong orientation towards renewables.

Contact details for Energy Locals

energylocals.com.au

1300 693 637

Which states does Energy Locals supply?

CHOICE Expert rating on EnergyAustralia

How we get our results

CHOICE verdict on Energy Locals

Environmental

Energy Locals is a well-rated energy retailer in the Green Electricity Guide, with 4 stars.
It has a strong position against investing in fossil fuels.
Energy Locals' export prices for solar are above state averages.
It does not promote energy efficiency and is not involved in demand management/response programs.

Customer service

234 (or 1.6%) of Energy Locals' customers lodged complaints against the company in 2018-19.
80% of calls made to Energy Locals are answered within 30 seconds.
Not many callers are left waiting longer – the average wait time is 19 seconds.
1% of callers hang up before their call is answered.

Energy Locals energy sources

We have found references to Energy Locals' use of a bio generator (Cape Byron Power) that uses waste to generate power, but we couldn't find a comprehensive breakdown of the mix of energy sources that Energy Locals uses for all power generation.

Energy Locals prices

Looking at the pricing table below, its obvious that Energy Locals is aiming for a consistently low price throughout most markets, not hitting anywhere near the highest cost in any of its markets – which is good for consumers. We couldn't find relevant pricing for Adelaide at the time of publish.

Green Electricity score

This score is based on the company's Green Electricity Guide star rating.

Complaints score

This score is based on the number of complaints measured as a proportion against the number of customers. The higher the percentage, the better. Data via the Australian Energy Regulator – updated annually.

Call response score

This score is based on how likely the retailer is to answer a call within 30 seconds. The higher the percentage, the better. Data via the Australian Energy Regulator – updated annually.

November 2019 - South Australia household batteries keeps lights on in Queensland after coal unit fails - The South Australia government and the Australian Energy Market Operator have hailed the success of the state's solar and battery virtual power plant, after it came to the rescue during an unexpected coal power outage in Queensland last month.

May 2019 - Bring on the energy 'big sticks', says electricity company - While most energy companies have urged the re-elected Scott Morrison government to back off its 'big sticks' plans to drive down power prices, one electricity retailer says they cannot come soon enough.

March 2019 - '10 years late': Calls mount for greater watchdog bite in power sector - Attempts to rein-in excessive clout by major companies in the power sector are "10 years too late", one of the biggest employer groups has said, as calls mount for the market watchdog to be given more bite.

February 2019 - Origin forecasts $44m hit from regulated power price - The government's push to lower power bills by regulating electricity prices looks set to cost energy companies more than $100 million from next financial year.

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	Sydney	Melbourne	Adelaide	Brisbane	Canberra
Cheapest price overall	$1,711.48	$1020.00	$2,574.99	$1,582.64	$1,696.73
Energy Locals cheapest	$1,818.92	$1190.00	Not available	$1,705.17	$1,879.24
Highest price overall	$3,398.40	$3020.00	$2,574.99	$2,731.46	$2,177.42
Energy Locals highest	$2,136.11	$1470.00	Not available	$2,073.06	$1,879.24