Want more predictable energy bills for a small daily charge?
With AGL's Energy Allowance Plan, you can access electricity to suit your home for just 50 cents a day!*
Sponsored by AGL. AGL's new Energy Allowance Plan gives eligible battery owners a generous electricity allowance built around typical household usage – so there's less guesswork in your energy bills, and less day-to-day battery management to think about.One of the big benefits of having a home battery is that it gives you more control over the electricity your household makes and uses.
But what it doesn't do is make your electricity bill predictable. Plus you still need to take the time to make decisions like when to charge, discharge and power your home.
However, there are solutions. AGL's Energy Allowance Plan^ allows eligible battery owners to get a generous amount of electricity included in each billing period for a simple 50-cent daily supply charge.**
In return, AGL will manage your battery to balance energy demand and create value in the energy market and there are no electricity usage charges if you stay within your allowance. If you go over, standard electricity rates will apply.
Let's take a closer look at how AGL's Energy Allowance Plan works.
What is an energy allowance?
An energy allowance is similar to a data cap on your mobile plan. It's a set amount of electricity included in each billing period, with four tiers to suit typical household electricity consumption.
AGL looks at your battery brand and size alongside your household's typical energy use to assess your eligibility and determine which allowance level is best suited based on your historical electricity usage. Plus, they will include a 25% buffer before selecting your allowance level so there's room to move above what you'd normally expect to use.
If eligible, you'll then be invited to join the plan on one of four energy allowance tiers – low, medium, high or extra high.
As long as you stay within that allowance, you won't pay electricity usage charges. All you pay is the 50-cent daily supply charge, plus any other applicable fees.**
How can I join AGL's new Energy Allowance Plan?
There are a number of steps involved in joining AGL's Energy Allowance Plan.
1. Register your interest
Registering takes a few minutes. You'll need details of your electricity account and home address, your solar system, your battery details (including the brand, model and capacity), a sense of your typical household usage, and how you'd like AGL to get in touch.
AGL will use that information to check whether your household and battery fit the plan, then contact you to walk you through your allowance, the plan conditions and the next steps before you decide. There's no obligation at the registration stage – it's simply the start of the conversation.
2. Get your invitation and your allowance
Once AGL confirms you're eligible, you'll be sent an invitation link to sign up, along with the allowance tier your household has been placed in and what it covers.
3. Have a secondary meter installed
AGL will arrange to have a secondary meter installed at your home, which you won't need to pay for yourself (with some exceptions~). This meter works alongside your existing one to monitor how much of your allowance you've used.
4. AGL helps manage your battery
This is the exchange at the heart of the plan. Getting the most out of a battery normally means daily monitoring of energy prices, solar generation, household usage, and your state of battery charge. On this plan, AGL manages when your battery charges and discharges to balance energy demand and create value in the energy market, and in return you get the allowance and the low daily charge. AGL will always leave a minimum of 20% charge in your battery.
5. You're billed on your billing cycle
While you're part of the plan, you'll only pay 50c a day supply charge*, provided you stay within your allowance. Standard rates apply for anything you use above that allowance.
Who can register?
The Energy Allowance Plan is currently suited to households who:
- Have a smart meter
- Live in NSW, QLD or SA
- Own a compatible Sigenergy, Sungrow or Alpha ESS battery
AGL is expanding the list of battery brands that will be eligible for the plan in the next few months. Check out the AGL website for future home battery inclusions and the full list of eligibility criteria.
Will the energy allowance I get be enough for my household?
There are four tiers of electricity allowance, designed to reflect typical household electricity consumption, plus a 25% buffer. Rather than providing unlimited energy usage for a fixed daily price, it includes a set amount of electricity usage for each billing period.
The allowance applies to all of the electricity your home uses, including energy from both the grid, your solar and your battery.
How is energy allowance tracked and when does it roll over?
Your allowance applies to each billing period whether you're billed monthly or quarterly, and resets at the start of each billing period. You can monitor and manage how you're tracking during your billing period through the AGL App.
Will I have to change my electricity usage?
No, you can continue using electricity as you normally would. The four allowance tiers are designed around typical household electricity usage, with an additional 25% buffer built in to help accommodate normal variations throughout the year.
As long as you stay with your allowance, your electricity usage is covered for the daily supply charge. Life circumstances and changes may impact this, though. For example, purchasing an EV, installing a pool or spa, adding air conditioning, or having more people move into the home could increase your electricity consumption over time. So you should factor these in before deciding whether the allowance is right for you.
If you think any of these might apply to you in future, you can let AGL know and they can check if there is a higher allowance tier that might be more appropriate for you.
The plan at a glance
| What you get | What it means |
|---|---|
| Your energy allowance | One of four tiers. which will be at least 125% of your household's typical usage. Your allowance resets every billing period (any unused allowance does not roll over). |
| Daily supply charge | 50 cents a day as long as you stay within your allowance. Additional charges apply if you go over it. |
| Electricity usage charges | None, as long as you stay within your allowance for the billing period |
| Battery management | AGl uses your battery to balance energy demand and create value in the energy market |
| Plan term | It's a five-year plan with the option to leave at any time, with no exit fees |
Register your interest in AGL's Energy Allowance Plan today
Sponsored by AGL. AGL's new Energy Allowance Plan gives eligible battery owners a generous electricity allowance built around typical household usage – so there's less guesswork in your energy bills, and less day-to-day battery management to think about.Terms and conditions
*This current daily supply charge is variable. 92% less than the comparison price set by the AER of $2,334 per year.~
^Available to invited eligible residential customers in NSW, SA & QLD with a compatible home battery. Charges apply for usage above allowance. Eligibility criteria apply, and trial participant spots are limited in the trial. Basic Plan Information available upon request.
**Based on a household using 4,000 kWh/year on a single rate tariff (regulated) in the SA Power Networks network (incl. GST). In other states, the comparison price will be different. Supply charge is variable. Additional fees and charge may apply from time (e.g. for paper billing) see the full details here: https://www.agl.com.au/help-support/billing-payments/fees-and-charges
~ An additional fee may be payable for supplementary work to install the secondary meter in certain cases, including if your supply address is located in a remote location or an upgrade is required to your meter enclosure or switchboard to accommodate the secondary meter. If such a fee applies, AGL will inform you of the amount and seek your consent before proceeding.
Image: @vladans via Canva.com