Frequently Asked Questions

The primary account holder should be the person whose name is attached to the energy account. The primary account holder is legally responsible for the electricity agreement and financially responsible for the account and payments.  

A primary account holder can:  

• sign contracts  
• add or remove secondary account holders  
• add or remove authorised contacts  
• claim concessions (if they hold a concession card) 
• request refunds, and   
• finalise or cancel accounts 

A secondary account holder can be added at the primary account holder’s request (must be over 18, identification requirements apply). Secondary account holders are not financially responsible for the account and cannot claim concessions.  

A secondary account holder can:  

• make changes to the account  
• change or renew a plan on behalf of the primary account holder  
• organise a move out  
• accept fees on behalf of the primary account holder 
• request a refund (into the primary account holder’s bank account only)  
• also be named on the bill alongside the primary account holder at the request of the primary account holder.  

An authorised contact is someone who is added to the account by the primary account holder and can enquire about account information specific to the electricity plan.   

Authorised contacts are not financially responsible for the account and cannot make any changes to the account or plan, nor can they appear on the bill. They can ask about topics like billing and charges.   

Authorised contacts can be carers, housemates, partners, or anyone else who the primary contact thinks should have access to information about their electricity account.

Good news: we’ve developed a guide to understanding the different parts of your Flow Power energy bill that you can read here.  

Your bill will include all the details of your electricity usage, including your set base rate, plan features (100% GreenPower and your assigned clean energy project) and Price Efficiency Adjustment.  

It’s common for energy bills to fluctuate, but if your bill is higher than expected, it’s worth investigating why.  

Below are some common factors for why your electricity bill may be high. 

Check your bill 

• Have you moved recently? Does your meter number match what you see on the bill? 
• Has your billing frequency changed? Is it longer or shorter than usual? 
• Is there a balance carried forward? 
• If you have a concession, has it been correctly applied to your account? 
• Are there any extra bill charges? 
• Has your account been rebilled due to a previous estimated reading?
• Has your tariff changed recently? Or has there been a price increase? 

Consider your energy use patterns 

• Do you have any new appliances? What is their efficiency rating? 
• Are you charging an electric vehicle? 
• Have you had any visitors or additions to your household?  
• Are you spending more time at home, such as working from home or school holidays?  
• Has your usage changed due to seasonal changes?  
• Do you have any old or faulty appliances? 
• If your hot water service is electric, is it leaking?  
• Are you entitled to any Government Energy Rebate’s? 

If none of these reasons help explain the increase in your bill, we might be able to help. Please contact us on 1800 359 797 to discuss.  

Ideas & Tips 

• Tool for calculating electricity usage for power appliances
• Energy efficiency tips 
• Understand and improve PEA 

When you sign up for a Power Renewable Home account, you’ll be defaulted into paying your bills via direct debit. If you’d prefer to pay your bills differently, you can pay your bills via

Bank Transfer 

Or you can pay in person at any Westpac Bank branch with the above details. 

 Mail 

Send a cheque payable to Flow Power with your Flow Power account number on the back to: 

PO Box 100, Hawthorn, Vic, 3122 

Payment – Phone 

Call Flow Power on 1800 359 797 Mon-Fri 9-5. 

Need assistance with payment? We’re here to help. 

If you are having difficulty paying your bill, please call us on 1800 359 797. 

For more information you can refer to our Hardship Policy. 

All Flow Power plans offer monthly billing.  

A Price Efficiency Adjustment (PEA) is an adjustment Flow Power makes to your base rate each billing period. The adjustment reflects how you used energy compared to the Wholesale Electricity Market price during your billing period. 

You can learn more about the PEA and what to do improve it here.  

If you’re experiencing financial difficulty, we want to offer our support in managing the payment of your bills. Flow Power’s Hardship Policy means that among other options we can help you stagger your payments through a payment plan or get government support with your payments. You can read the policy here. 

For more information or support, please contact us on 1800 359 797.  

If your property doesn’t have a smart meter that can send your usage data remotely, you may require to have a meter reader come and perform a manual meter read.  

Estimated bills arise when the meter reader cannot obtain the meter data, prompting us to rely on your previous usage pattern for estimation. The main reasons for receiving an estimated bill: 

• meter reader unable to access your property 
• we did not receive your meter data for that billing period 

If you have a basic meter, you can send us a self-read. Please refer to our meter read guide for more information.

We are here to support our customers affected by domestic and family violence.  

You can contact us on 1800 359 797 to discuss your situation or refer to our Family Violence Policy for further help. Our team has been trained and understands the impacts of domestic and family violence, and we will respond to your enquiry with compassion. 

Customers with a relevant concession card may be eligible for a concession or rebate on their energy bills to help ease their cost-of-living pressures.  

Please refer to our concessions page for more information. 

If you or someone in your home uses a life support machine or uses electricity for a medical reason, you need to register it with us as soon as possible and complete a Medical Confirmation form.  

We’ll then provide you with advance notice of any planned interruptions to your energy supply, so you can plan accordingly. 

You may also qualify for concessions and rebates – please refer to our Life Support Policy for more information. 

Please contact us on 1800 359 797 to discuss options for re-connecting your property. 

We’re always open to feedback. 

If you’d like to suggest new features or report bugs for our app or kWatch Mini, please follow the below instructions: 

• in your app, click on the feedback icon. This is located on the bottom right corner of your app home screen
• you will be taken to a feedback screen 
• select the feedback type you would like to provide
• add your comments in the comment text box and upload any relevant files or screenshots. 
• click the submit button 

You can sign up to Power Renewable Home regardless of the type of meter you have. Once you’ve created an account and we know what type of meter you have, we will let you know whether you require an upgrade to a smart meter.

A smart meter measures when and how much electricity is consumed at a premises, and these are required to feed live data to the kWatch Mini.  

Smart meters have been installed in all Victorian residences and businesses, outside of Victoria, however, most meters are basic meters and are therefore not compatible with the kWatch Mini as they don’t have live data enabled hardware.    

During your sign-up, if your meter is identified as a “Smart Meter (non-live data enabled)” or “Basic Meter” we’ll resolve this by coordinating with you and our metering company to install a live data enabled smart meter at your location so you can fully utilise your smart energy tools.  

Here’s a summary of the three types of meters and how they interact with Power Renewable Home: 

Smart Meter with live data: 

With this type of meter, you can take full advantage of the plan and energy tools. It enables you to actively adjust your energy usage patterns and make informed decisions to improve your Price Efficiency Adjustment. You’ll have access to real-time data, allowing you to closely monitor your energy consumption. 

 Basic Meter: 

If you have a basic meter, it will affect your pricing and your ability to influence your Price Efficiency Adjustment. As we don’t know when you used electricity, it will not be possible to measure your individual consumption without a smart meter and your PEA calculation will be based on the average consumption data in your area.   

The app’s features for users with basic meters are limited; you won’t have access to real-time energy efficiency suggestions or live data graphs for monitoring energy usage. 

Smart Meter without live data: 

This type of smart meter does not provide live data, making it difficult to make real-time decisions about your energy consumption. Like those with basic meters, you’ll also have limited access to features in the app, such as real-time energy efficiency suggestions and live data graphs. Your energy consumption data will be updated at midnight, allowing you to review your previous day’s usage.  

Please refer to the table below to understand the product features and pricing by meter type.   

Prior to signing up to the Power Renewable Home product without a live data enables smart meter, you must be aware of these limitations and understand that you will not have access to all product features until the meter upgrade occurs.   

Flow Power typically doesn’t charge for smart meter installation, but in some rare cases (see below for examples) additional costs may arise.  

We’ll always inform you and get your consent of any potential charges from us or third parties (like meter providers or distributors) before starting any work. 

Additional charges may include fixing any wiring issues, safety hazards, asbestos or accessing the meter. If specialised metering equipment or weak mobile signals are needed, this could also result in additional costs.  

You can still sign up to Flow Power without a smart meter, however it is important to note that you won’t have access to the live data that reflects your real-time energy consumption.

This means that your individual PEA cannot be determined, as we don’t know when you used electricity. As it is not possible to measure your individual consumption without a smart meter, your PEA calculation will be based on the average consumption data in your area.

This is called a ‘net system load profile or NSLP’, which is estimated data provided by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) indicating an average user’s energy use throughout a day.

As with smart meters, your bill will be made up of the kWh used in the billing period and the usage rate which is made up of your “base rate + PEA”

The smart meter will remain on the property and can be used with any new electricity provider.  

If you move or you’re renting, the smart meter remains at the property and new occupants can use the smart meter with their chosen electricity provider. 

A network tariff is what Network Distributors – such as AusNet and Powercor Australia – charge for the infrastructure they use to bring you electricity.  

This includes the substations, poles, wires and transmission towers; as well as the cost of maintaining, upgrading and operating the grid. 

With a time-of-use tariff, what you’ll pay for your network usage depends on when you’re using it.   

This is where off-peak and peak pricing periods come into play. Peak and off-peak times may change depending on your electricity retailer, but as a general guide:   

• Off peak charged when the electricity network has low usage, such as overnight.  
• Shoulder a usage rate that sits between peak and controlled load times. Shoulder rates are usually a bit cheaper than peak rates and are available in most states. For example, shoulder times are 7.00 am to 3.00 pm and 9.00 pm to 10.00 pm on weekdays, as well as 7.00 am to 10.00 pm on weekends. These times may differ between states.  
• Peak charged when the electricity network has high usage, such as in the evening or on weekdays.  

If you use electricity in off-peak times, it’s cheaper; use it in peak times, and it’s more expensive. 

On a flat tariff (also known as a ‘single rate’ or ‘peak rate’), you’ll pay the same network rate per kilowatt for your electricity regardless of when you use it.  

No matter what day or time it is, what you pay per kilowatt won’t change: flat tariffs do not have off-peak or peak pricing periods.  

Controlled load electricity refers to electricity being used by a stand-alone item, like an electric hot water service, electric slab heating and irrigation pumps. Controlled loads are recorded by a separate meter and can be billed as an off-peak rate. 

The Flow Power app gives you an overview of the cheapest times of the day to use energy via the Upcoming Opportunities widget on the App home screen. The forecast is shown in 30-minute blocks and factors in your network charges including customers on a time-of-use tariff.  

The Flow Power app is free to download from the App Store or Google Play Store. Simply search ‘Flow Power’ and follow the prompts! 

If you are in a time-of-use area you will automatically be allocated a time-of-use tariff by your Network Distributor. Flow Power can make a request to the distributor to move you to a Flat Tariff, however, this decision is up to your Network Distributor.   

Note: Their response times vary and can be more than 28 days. Fees may apply.  

If you are on a time-of-use tariff with Flow Power and would like to change to a flat tariff, please contact our Customer Solutions team on 1800 359 797. 

First things first, if you’re in an emergency that threatens your life or home, call 000. 

Otherwise, please contact your energy distributor for information on the outage:  

Victoria

New South Wales

South Australia

If your electric hot water unit’s stopped working, this could be a sign there’s an issue with the unit. The unit’s circuit breaker will generally trip if there’s an issue with the unit.

An electrician will be able to help.  

Energy efficiency  

Energy efficiency refers to reducing the total power usage in your home. This can be achieved through a range of measures such as installing energy efficient appliances, lights and improving thermal insulation. Reducing your overall power consumption is an excellent way to help reduce your energy bill.   

Price efficiency  

Energy efficiency is different to Price Efficiency in that your Price Efficiency is based on the times of day you use energy at home and wholesale price of electricity at the time you use it. The wholesale electricity price is more expensive when the demand for energy is high (typically, in the early morning and late afternoon), and cheaper when demand is low which often reflects abundant renewable electricity in the grid. Price efficiency is achieved by moving the bulk of your energy usage to a cheaper (and cleaner) time of day. 

Price efficiency works when a customer is able to use electricity at times of lower wholesale prices, which is generally a time of greener energy production. The price efficiency adjustment will reward customers who shift their electricity usage to lower cost periods.   

Times of higher wholesale prices  

Typically, several factors can lead to higher wholesale energy prices, which may include:  

1. greater use of fossil fuel power in the grid, such as gas or coal-fired power 
2. grid congestion or infrastructure issues in the networks that limit the flow of generation to where it is used, and 
3. low supply availability – when there is not much spare generation supply available to meet electricity demand.  

Times of lower wholesale prices  

When energy prices rise it is a signal from the grid for those customers (who are able) to reduce, or shift, their energy use to a better (cheaper) time. These cheaper times typically occur when there is:  

1. high renewable energy supply in the grid, such as times when its windy or sunny  
2. low or no congestion on the grid, meaning generation can flow to the customers who want to use it, and    
3. low demand for electricity. When there isn’t much demand for electricity from the grid, prices tend to be lower. Lower demand from the grid can occur overnight or during the middle of the day when there is lots of rooftop solar generation. 

Price efficiency is achieved by shifting your energy usage to times of high renewable generation in the grid or enhancing your ability to store (via battery) clean energy for use during expensive periods in the grid.   

Flow Power’s Power Renewable Home plan is designed to encourage the transition of the market to using energy during cheaper times of the day. Rewarding a shift in electricity demand to times of higher renewable generation in the grid means consumers can use their everyday activities to increase demand for renewable energy.   

Your Price Efficiency Adjustment is a calculation we apply to your energy rate that reflects your energy use compared to the Wholesale Electricity Market price for that period.   

Specifically, your Price Efficiency Adjustment is the difference between the amount of energy you use multiplied by the energy cost at these times (Load weighted average) and the average energy market cost over the period you use it (time-weighted average wholesale price). This Price Efficiency Adjustment is applied to your base rate and will adjust your energy bill either up or down depending on how price efficient you were that month. More information on how the Price Efficiency Adjustment is calculated is available here. 

Utilising a Price Efficiency Adjustment will reward you with cheaper prices if you are able to use your energy during lower cost periods throughout the day when renewables form a large part of the grid.  

The Price Efficiency Adjustment applied to the base rate of your Flow Power energy plan. The base rate consists of your Network Distributor’s charges (including a time-of-use tariff, if applicable), GreenPower, market charges, and the price-per-kilowatt hour that is locked in when you sign your Flow Power energy plan.   

Your Price Efficiency Adjustment is calculated using wholesale price, which is set by the market every 5-minutes and averaged into a monthly figure. This Price Efficiency Adjustment is applied to your base rate and will adjust your electricity rate either up or down depending on how Price efficient your usage was.  

If on average, you use energy when it is cheapest on the wholesale market (typically in the middle of the day when large amounts of solar energy is supplying the grid), then you will have a low or even negative Price Efficiency Adjustment, and you will see an improvement in your price.   

Conversely, if on average you use more energy at times when the wholesale energy prices are high and supplied mostly by fossil fuels, your Price Efficiency Adjustment could be higher and will have a unfavourable effect on your base energy rate.  

Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) energy is an excellent way to power your home and a big step towards lowering your personal carbon footprint.   

In times of high solar production, homes with solar PV replace the grid-based energy with their own rooftop energy. This time also typically represents the cheapest and greenest times to use wholesale grid energy, which is what the PEA encourages.  

The good news is that on Power Renewable Home, a typical* solar household’s electricity bill is half that of a non-solar household. While the Price Efficiency Adjustment is likely to be higher for the solar household, it is calculated off less energy usage, so the Price Efficiency Adjustment total cost for both households are almost identical. The average solar household total bill is still around half and no worse off than a non-solar household on the Power Renewable Home electricity plan.  

*Note: This calculation has been made using a number of assumptions for solar households which may not reflect your specific situation. 

Customers with rooftop solar and energy storage will benefit from using the Price Efficiency Adjustment as they can store energy – either from their own rooftop or from the grid, when prices are low – and use this when wholesale prices are higher and fossil fuels are in greater use. 

From 1 July 2019, Victorian energy retailers are required to have a Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for homes and small business customers on a specific rate type: 

• residential electricity customers – flat and controlled load rates  
• business electricity customers (use less than 40MWH per year) – flat rate  

The VDO is a regulated price for electricity that will replace Standing Offer tariffs advertised by Victorian energy retailers. The VDO price is set annually for each electricity distribution zone based on average customers. 

The Victorian Government introduced the VDO to make it easier for residential and business customers to compare electricity plans across different retailers.  

From 1 January 2020, the Essential Services Commission determined the tariffs that your electricity retailer charges you if you are on the VDO. The price determination covers all types of standing offers, including those based on time-of-use, demand, and flexible tariff structures – broadening the VDO to provide a safeguard for all standing offer customers. 

The price of electricity under the VDO is not set by energy companies but by the Victorian Regulator, the Essential Services Commission. Most customers on a standard contract (or standing offer) will now receive the VDO. Electricity retailers may continue to offer customers contracts, or market offers, that differ from the VDO.