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Moving house is stressful enough without worrying about electricity and gas connections. That is where services like Direct Connect come in.

DirectConnect Australia helps customers organise utilities when moving home, including electricity, gas and internet. The convenience is obvious: one service helps coordinate multiple connections instead of contacting providers individually.

But convenience and cheapest are not the same thing.

In our 2026 modelling, broader-market electricity and gas plans were often cheaper than the Direct Connect-linked options we reviewed. The largest gap appeared in Victorian gas, where cheaper plans were up to $665 per year less expensive.

That does not mean DirectConnect Australia is a bad service. It means customers should understand what the service is designed to do:

help you get connected quickly, not necessarily find the cheapest energy plan available across the market

Direct Connect Review: Quick Verdict

What is Direct Connect?

A utility connection service that helps customers arrange electricity, gas, internet and other services when moving house.

Where is DirectConnect Australia available?

Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.

Does Direct Connect compare every energy provider?

No. Direct Connect works with selected provider partners rather than the full market.

Ownership structure

Direct Connect is owned by Snowy Hydro, which also owns Red Energy and Lumo — two of the four providers on the partner panel. It’s not exactly independent!

Biggest saving we found

Victorian gas customers could save between $409 and $665 per year by switching to cheaper broader-market plans.

Best for

People who prioritise convenience and fast connection during a move.

Main downside

The plans offered through connection services are not the cheapest available.

What Is Direct Connect?

DirectConnect Australia is not an energy retailer. It is a moving and utility connection service designed to help customers organise:

• electricity,
  
• gas,
  
• internet,
  
• and other household services when relocating.
  

For many households, that convenience is valuable. Instead of researching multiple providers during a busy move, customers can arrange connections through a single service.

The key question, however, is whether the energy plans offered are actually competitive.

That is where our Direct Connect review found some important differences.

How DirectConnect Australia Works

Direct Connect works with a selected panel of energy provider partners, including:

• Red Energy,
  
• Lumo Energy,
  
• Origin Energy,
  
• and AGL.
  

It is also worth noting that Snowy Hydro owns Direct Connect, as well as Red Energy and Lumo. That means two of the four major providers commonly associated with the panel sit within the same corporate group.

This does not automatically make the plans uncompetitive, but it does reinforce why customers should compare beyond a limited provider panel before assuming they are receiving the cheapest available option.

Rather than comparing every retailer and plan available in the market, customers are generally offered plans from a smaller partner panel.

The process is also different from a traditional comparison table.

After entering moving details, customers are typically contacted to discuss available options rather than being shown a full ranked list of electricity and gas plans upfront.

For customers focused on convenience, that may be perfectly acceptable.

For customers focused on minimising long-term energy costs, it is worth comparing the broader market beyond the big players.

Is Direct Connect Independent?

Direct Connect operates as a utility connection service rather than an independent whole-market energy comparison platform.

Snowy Hydro owns Direct Connect as well as Red Energy and Lumo, which are providers commonly associated with the panel.

Customers should therefore understand that the service is designed primarily to facilitate utility connections during a move, not necessarily to identify the cheapest energy plan available across the entire market.

Does Direct Connect Find the Cheapest Energy Plans?

To keep the comparisons consistent, our modelling used the estimated average electricity and gas consumption for a three-person household in each distributor region reviewed.

Actual savings will vary depending on:

• household size,
  
• usage patterns,
  
• tariff type,
  
• and location,
  

but the modelling provides a realistic benchmark for comparing ongoing plan costs.

In our completed samples, broader-market plans were usually cheaper than the DirectConnect Australia options reviewed.

The biggest differences appeared in:

• Victorian gas,
  
• NSW electricity,
  
• and regional locations where pricing varies more significantly.
  

Summary of Savings Identified

The strongest result was Victorian gas.Across the Victorian gas locations reviewed, cheaper broader-market plans were between $409 and $665 per year less expensive than the Direct Connect-linked option.

Direct Connect Electricity Review: Are the Plans Actually Good Value?

Electricity savings were generally smaller than gas savings, but the pattern was still consistent.

In every completed electricity example we reviewed, the broader-market plan was cheaper than the Direct Connect-linked option.

Direct Connect Gas Review: Why Victorian Customers Should Be Careful

Gas was where the biggest pricing differences appeared.

In the Victorian gas examples reviewed, the cheaper broader-market plans were consistently hundreds of dollars less expensive than the Direct Connect-linked option.

Direct Connect Melbourne Review

Melbourne households showed some of the largest savings in our modelling, particularly for gas.

Examples from:

• Camberwell,
  
• Heidelberg,
  
• and Moorabbin
  

all showed materially cheaper broader-market gas plans compared with the Direct Connect-linked option reviewed.

For Melbourne households using both electricity and gas, reviewing the broader market after moving is especially worthwhile.

Direct Connect Adelaide Review

The South Australian examples showed smaller pricing gaps than Victoria and NSW, but cheaper plans were still identified.

In our Adelaide modelling:

• electricity savings are $71/year,
  
• and gas savings are $112/year.
  

While not as dramatic as Victorian gas, the results still showed that the connected plan was not necessarily the cheapest available.

Why DirectConnect Australia Plans Cost More

This does not necessarily mean the service is doing anything wrong.

The business model is built around convenience and fast connections during a move, not full-market optimisation.

The reasons why cheaper plans exist elsewhere:

• highly selective retailer panel,
• often suppliers don’t offer their best rates through moving services.

That is why broader-market comparison matters.

Is Direct Connect Worth Using?

For many customers, Direct Connect will still be useful.

If your priority is:

• getting connected quickly,
  
• reducing admin during a move,
  
• and avoiding multiple phone calls,
  

then a connection service can absolutely help.

But customers should avoid assuming that the connected plan is good value.

A sensible approach is:

1. use the service if convenience matters,
   
2. get connected before moving day,
   
3. then review your electricity and gas plans against the broader market afterwards.
   

That is particularly important for:

• Victorian gas customers and NSW electricity customers.
  
• customers who have not reviewed their plan in years,
  
• households with high energy usage.
  

How to Compare Energy Plans Properly

If you want to check whether your current plan is competitive, you can compare:

• daily supply charges,
  
• usage rates,
  
• gas pricing blocks,
  
• discounts,
  
• and estimated annual costs.
  

Useful comparison tools include:

• Victorian Energy Compare (Victoria),
  
• Energy Made Easy (NSW, QLD and SA),
  
• and independent comparison services such as Energy Umpire.
  

The important thing is to compare beyond a limited provider panel.

Energy Umpire Verdict

Direct Connect can make moving house easier.

But based on our modelling, the Direct Connect-linked plans reviewed were often not the cheapest electricity and gas plans available.

The biggest differences appeared in Victorian gas, where cheaper broader-market plans were up to $665 per year less expensive.

The key takeaway is simple:

Direct Connect helps solve a moving problem.

It does not necessarily solve an energy-cost problem.

For customers who value convenience first, that may be completely fine.

But if keeping ongoing electricity and gas costs low is the priority, it is worth comparing the broader market before staying on the connected plan long term.

Direct Connect Review FAQ

Is Direct Connect the cheapest way to connect electricity and gas?

Essentially no, there are better options elsewhere.

In our 2026 modelling, broader-market plans were cheaper than the Direct Connect-linked options reviewed.

The modelling used average electricity and gas consumption assumptions for a three-person household in each region.

The largest gaps appeared in Victorian gas, closely followed by NSW electricity.

Does Direct Connect compare all energy providers?

No.

Direct Connect works with selected provider partners rather than the full market.

Is Direct Connect independent?

Direct Connect is owned by Snowy Hydro, which also owns Red Energy and Lumo.

Customers should therefore understand that the service operates through a limited provider panel rather than as a whole-market comparison platform.

Is Direct Connect good for moving house?

Yes. For customers who want fast utility connections during a move, the service can reduce time and admin.

Are Direct Connect gas plans expensive?

In many cases, yes, but not necessarily. Our modelling found significantly cheaper energy plans in all areas.

Are Direct Connect electricity plans competitive?

The electricity gaps were generally smaller than gas, but broader-market plans were still cheaper in every completed electricity sample reviewed.

Should I switch after using Direct Connect?

It is worth checking.

Many customers use connection services for convenience during a move, then compare the broader market afterward to see whether cheaper plans are available.

Disclaimer

Energy prices change regularly based on retailer pricing, distributor areas, market conditions and individual usage patterns.

The comparisons in this review reflect sample modelling conducted at the time of research using estimated average electricity and gas consumption for a three-person household in each region reviewed.

Customers should always check current pricing for their own address, tariff and usage profile before switching plans.