Business energy guides

Check the contract as carefully as the electricity rate

Before accepting a business electricity offer, check what the price includes, when it can change and what happens when a benefit ends. Keep the written offer so you can compare it with the first bill.

By the Check Your Energy Bill team · Updated 26 October 2026

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Three dates to check

A contract has more than one clock

Contract term
How long does the agreement run?
Price period
How long do the specified rates apply?
Benefit period
When does the discount or credit end?

Contract term, price period and benefit period

These dates can mean different things. The contract term is how long the agreement runs. A price period describes how long specified rates apply. A benefit period may apply to a discount or credit. Ask for each date separately.

Do not read “12-month contract” as a promise that every charge stays fixed for 12 months. Check the actual price-change clause and which charges are covered.

Fixed rates versus variable rates

A fixed-rate offer may provide more certainty for the charges named in the offer. A variable-rate offer allows prices to change under its terms. Neither label tells you the total annual cost on its own.

Ask whether network charges or other components can pass through, whether GST is included and how changes will be communicated. Compare the written terms rather than a headline rate.

Fees and discount conditions

Check exit fees, payment fees, paper-bill fees, late-payment charges and any metering or connection charges relevant to the site. Not every plan has each fee.

For a discount, ask what it applies to and whether payment method or timing affects eligibility. A percentage off usage charges is different from a percentage off the whole bill.

What happens when the offer ends?

Ask whether the agreement continues, whether a discount expires and what rates apply afterwards. Save renewal notices and record a review date before any benefit ends.

Worked example: a $100 one-off credit reduces a $3,600 first-year estimate to $3,500 if all conditions are met. If rates and usage stayed the same but the credit did not recur, the next year would be $3,600. This is an example, not a plan offer.

Questions to put to the retailer

Ask for the full rates and fees, eligibility conditions, price-change rules, benefit end date and any early termination charge in writing. Ask what cancellation rights apply to your business and jurisdiction.

For larger negotiated contracts, complex sites or unclear clauses, seek suitable advice before signing. Our bill check compares supported published data; it does not review every contract term or accept an agreement for you.

Sources and further reading

Sources checked 26 October 2026. Rates and eligibility can change. Your comparison shows its own data verification date.

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