Energy Umpire is as a 100% Australian owned, set up by Alan Rattray and Clint Gadsden, both with extensive experience in energy.. “We wanted to share our knowledge of energy and simplify the process of getting the best energy deals with genuine impartial and high quality service based firmly on the interests of ordinary customers.”
For more detail see our About Us page.
- We compare every provider and plan while other comparison sevices like ISelect etc. only compare for their select group of suppliers.
- Energy Umpire is funded by the customer while other comparison services get paid a commission per switch by the supplier. Such commissions are typically $200-$250 for a home switch.
- Energy Umpire always gets you the cheapest available electricity price and gas price. Other comparison services rarely have the cheapest energy prices available.
- We provide accurate and impartial advice on the best suppliers, plans and rates based on all available plans.
- We enter your bill details for you. Others require you to enter the information or make heroic assumptions from scant information.
- When you provide your bill information, you get accurate information on your savings, because we extract the prices you are actually paying based on your bill. Other comparison services generally do not provide a savings calculation.
- With Energy Umpire you get a written savings report that we stand by, not just a verbal recommendation by a salesperson.
- We stand by our belief that a good service is built on clarity, transparency and trust. We ensure the quality of the information we give you is the highest possible.
- We protect your privacy (see our Privacy Policy).
- You may unsubscribe at any time. If you ask us, we will not contact you unless you initiate contact.
- We offer a genuinely independent comparison of the offers from all electricity and gas suppliers that are available publicly.
- We provide impartial comparisons based on data from your bill.
- When you provide your bill we give you accurate information on your savings, because we extract the prices you are actually paying based on your bill.
- We provide you with written reports that we stand by.
Yes. It is very simple and routine. More than 20% of customers switch suppliers every year. You can sign up by phone or online. We make it easy by providing you with the signup link and the phone number. We also provide the plan name for signup. After you sign up we check that you have been signed up to the correct plan.
Yes, of course. Energy Umpire complies strictly with Australian Privacy legislation. Your data is encrypted and held securely and only used to provide our services to you. Your data is not provided to any other party. View our Privacy Policy here.
Electricity prices depend on 3 main factors: supply and demand; fuel costs (esp. gas); and the margin extracted by the supplier. Our main aim is to reduce the margin extracted by the supplier by getting you the cheapest energy prices.
Our service is entirely funded by our customers. But, you only pay to get something tangible: either the cheapest available plan for you OR access to calculated savings that you can see before you decide to pay. Our fees are tiny compared with the savings and the convenience of our service.
The fee, where you decide to pay is paid directly by you, the customer. We do not accept any payments from suppliers. More details check Our Plan Page
We are fearless in presenting objective comparisons of all energy company plans that are available. Please contact us if you think we have missed an offer.
- Using our sophisticated modelling we perform calculations from information gathered from your bill.
- We have a comprehensive database of energy supplier offers.
- We extract information on consumption, tariff structure, prices and distribution company from your bill.
- For residential customers we estimate your annual consumption and seasonal usage using information gathered by the Government.
- From the information we gather we calculate your estimated costs with your current provider and your savings, if any, with the alternative offers.
- For homes, we use government information on usage by household size in your area.
- The gas and electricity distribution area based on your address.
- We have a comprehensive database of plans that apply in your area.
- For electricity, initially we use the most common tariff structure in your area. Then we cross check the tariff the tariff type that applies to your address.
- We compare the cheapest plan for you with the average of the prices charged by Origin Energy, AGL Energy and Energy Australia.
Yes. When you set up your service we automate the simultaneous delivery of your bill to you and to us. That allows us to check that you are on the best plan continually.
Yes, there is a best energy plan. We do all the work for you on your behalf and we keep you updated with the best and the cheapest provider for both your electricity and gas. We keep a track of your usages and rates and when we come across a provider offering you better pricing, we give you instructions on how to switch to that plan.
Once you have chosen your new provider and they have commenced the switch, it depends on your location. In some areas where there aren’t smart meters it may depend where you are in your billing cycle. An accurate meter reading must be taken so that one final bill can be issued, which will include any rebates you have owing to you with your current provider. This reading will also be used for your new provider. Your new energy provider will not start charging you until the switch is complete.
No. The new provider makes all the arrangements.
Smart meters are designed to measure and record your electricity usage with an online connection. This data is then transmitted regularly to your electricity distributors (the company that owns and maintains the grid, poles, and wires). Your energy provider also receives the data and may make it available to you via a web portal or app, allowing you to monitor your energy consumption, better manage your costs, and compare different offers that may be more suitable.
It also allows your meter to be remotely read by your provider, which means no more estimated bills. It can quickly notify your distributor if there’s a power outage, which means the problem can be located faster, repair crews can be allocated quicker, and repairs can begin sooner.
Yes, at any time. If you are a paying customer, please advise us by email that you wish to discontinue your service.