Electricity - FAQ's
Electricity - Frequently Asked Questions
Can we receive a hard copy bill for future accounts?
Initially it has been set up as e-bills only. We understand Shell can issue a paper bill – but it may attract a fee.
Will the account be a direct debit?
A direct debit can be set up - see the detail at the bottom of the attached e-bill
Will all future accounts be forwarded to me as Treasurer?
All correspondence has been set up to go to the secretary by email, however it can be changed. Please contact Council to do this.
Will accounts be issued quarterly, or otherwise?
They are based on the meter reading cycle which is generally quarterly. Alternative arrangements may be negotiated with Shell. However, you should be aware that actual consumption is based on the reading cycle (set by Ausgrid). This means that if you request bills monthly for a site that is read quarterly, these monthly bills will be based on estimated consumption until an actual read occurs – at this time costs are adjusted up or down based on the actual read.
Can we have our facility set on a ‘flat rate’ charge, as the football uses most electricity between 5pm and 9pm (peak cost), whereas other hirers use electricity during the day at a lower rate?
With the ‘flat rate’ proposal, we must ensure that the plan will be beneficial for the facility over the full year. This can only be done with a full year’s worth of consumption data, not by looking at only the ‘time of use’ charges for a particular season. Individual site analysis will occur once 12-months of data is available to Council from Shell (ie: through all seasons) to ensure the most beneficial plans are in place. This new model will ensure that Council has better access to electricity consumption data via ERM Power than at any time previously.
What if I know a ‘flat rate’ will be better?
If you have analysed your consumption in detail over the past 12 months and are confident that a flat rate is better for your site over the entire year, please send us your proposal with a summary of your analysis. Council officers will assess your proposal and then make the request on your behalf, as soon as possible. We will be placing further information on this website shortly on how to analyse your electricity bills – if you are unsure as to what to look for.
Have projections of costs been done by LMCC as part of the project on a site by site basis?
No, we have not projected costs as we do not have hard data to base the projections on. Once we have 12 months of data from Shell and have conducted some analysis, we will be in a position to follow through with any changes that benefit users.
New Rates for Network Tariffs
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) approved new rates for network tariffs which have been effective from 1 July 2023. These rates can be found in the AER website https://www.aer.gov.au/networks-pipelines/determinations-access-arrangements/pricing-proposals-tariffs. In accordance with Council’s Retail Electricity Supply Agreement, these new network charges are passed through to the consumers from 1 July 2023. In brief, the new network pricing proposal results in around 5% increase in average network charges from 2022-23 to 2023-24 for small to medium businesses (average daily consumption less than 100kWh).
Regarding the retail electricity rates, as per the Contract, the consumers are to expect around 4% increase from 2022-23 to 2023-24.
Page Last Updated: 06 Sep 2023