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Pros
- 2021 winner of Finder Green Awards for Green Energy Retailer of the Year
- 100% carbon neutral plans
- Australian customer support
- High solar feed-in tariffs in most states
Cons
- No over-the-phone support for cheaper plans
- Some plans accept direct debit payment only
2020 Finder Green Awards
Green Energy Retailer of the Year (Retail-Only)
Energy Locals wins this year's Finder Green Awards with its 100% carbon offsets on residential electricity plans.
Energy plan prices are changing frequently right now. We calculated typical prices for providers for a 2-3 person household using data from the Energy Made Easy site. Always double-check plan details that matter to you. Energy plan prices are changing frequently right now. We calculated typical prices for providers for a 2-3 person household using data taken from each provider's website. Always double-check plan details that matter to you before signing up. Energy plan prices are changing frequently right now. We calculated typical prices for providers for a 2-3 person household using data from the Energy Made Easy site. Always double-check plan details that matter to you. Energy plan prices are changing frequently right now. We calculated typical prices for providers for a 2-3 person household using data from the Energy Made Easy site. Always double-check plan details that matter to you. Energy plan prices are changing frequently right now. We calculated typical prices for providers for a 2-3 person household using data from the Energy Made Easy site. Always double-check plan details that matter to you. Energy Locals works a bit differently to other providers. Rather than simply paying for your power use, you pay a monthly membership fee instead.
In return, you get access to fixed power rates that are updated every August.
These rates are based on wholesale electricity prices - the price that retailers pay for power before passing it on to their customers.
They tend to be 2-5c/kWh cheaper than what other retailers usually charge their customers.
In a nutshell:
- The more power you use, the more you'll benefit from Energy Locals' lower usage rates, even with the yearly membership fee factored in.
- 100% carbon offsets for emissions from your power use, at no cost to you
- Get 6 months of membership fees refunded when you stay signed up for 6 months (in some states)
What's the catch?
- Over-the-phone support is not offered on the "Online Member" plans, only "Local Member" plans with higher membership fees
- No mobile app to manage your plan on the go
- The cheaper "Online Member" plans require direct debit payment only
As with many providers, Energy Locals doesn't have any lock-in contracts or exit fees, so you're free to change plans whenever you desire.
Energy Locals is available in VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, the ACT, and Tasmania.

Solar Energy
Does Energy Locals offer solar plans?
Although Energy Locals doesn't offer specific solar plans, you will be able to get feed-in tariffs on all plans if you have a solar system.
It's also partnered with startup Enosi to create Powertracer, a software that allows solar customers to buy and sell excess solar power to each other at rates they set themselves.
If you are in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, or the ACT, you can go to Energy Locals' website, enter your postcode, and hit the "join" button.
This will start the switch over to the appropriate energy plan. And once everything's been set up, you'll receive a registration email for the trading platform.
How good is the feed-in tariff?
Energy Locals offers reasonable feed-in tariffs in every state - nothing far above the average, but nothing on the super low side, either.
- NSW, VIC, ACT: 7c/kWh back
- QLD: 6c/kWh
- SA: 6.5c/kWh
- TAS: 6.6c/kWh

Green Energy
How green is Energy Locals?
Green Electricity Guide Rating: 8.09/10
Energy Locals has done its fair share in the green energy space.
It supports the environment with 100% carbon neutral plans, plus gives customers the option of purchasing up to 100% GreenPower for further support of renewable energy investments.
Additionally, it also supports a few renewables schemes like solar power trading through its Powertracer program and purchasing electricity from power stations that burn sugar cane by-products for energy.
For its efforts, Energy Locals has won the Finder Green Awards for Green Energy Retailer of the Year (Retail-Only) in both 2020 and 2021.
How much will GreenPower cost me?
- $4.88 per quarter - 10% GreenPower (0.39c/kWh)
- $24.38 per quarter - 50% GreenPower (1.95c/kWh)
- $48.75 per quarter - 100% GreenPower (3.90c/kWh)
Note: 5,000 kWh was used as an average annual power consumption figure based on data from the 2020 Residential energy consumption benchmarks report for the AER. Power consumption varies by state and household size.

User reviews and customer service
Handy mobile app
★★★★★
4 out of 5 stars
Financial hardship support ★★★★★ EnergyLocals' user rating on Finder is 4. To give you some idea of how Energy Locals' customer service lines up, we've used the 2019-2020 market report from the Australian Energy Regulator.
Here's how Energy Locals performed compared to the rest of the market:Average call wait time | 27seconds | 53 seconds | 99 seconds |
Calls abandoned before being answered | 4% | 9% | 6% |
Complaints (% of total customers) | 1% | 2% | 2% |
Why does customer service rating matter?
A high customer service score is a great indicator of how your energy provider will help you:
- Understand your current electricity, gas or solar plan
- Switch to a new plan
- Figure out your energy bill
- When you're experiencing any financial difficulty
How can I get in touch with Energy Locals?
Energy Locals has a number of ways for you to get in touch, mostly during the week.
You can:
- Call up the Australian support team on weekdays between 8:30am - 6:30pm AEST (not available with "online" plans)
- Drop a message on the Energy Locals Facebook or Twitter social media pages
- Send through a quick email with any questions or problems you might have
If you'd like to join an energy plan with Energy Locals, just hit the green "Go to site" button in the table and fill out a quick form.
Alternatively, head to the Energy Locals' website and sign up directly by entering your address and following the prompts.
- Once you've started the switching process, Energy Locals will handle the rest. The process usually takes between 1-3 months to complete.
Get a cost estimate
Important notes: The estimated price we show by default is based on a single rate tariff. On your bill this might be known as a "peak tariff", "peak only" or an "anytime tariff". There are other tariff types available to customers and you may need to contact your provider if you are on these tariffs:
- Single rate with a controlled load
- Time of use
- Time of use with a controlled load
The price estimate should not be used as an official quote, but an indication of what your costs may be on the plan. It varies based on whether you provide us with your bill details. You can learn more here.
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