Most of Australia has a competitive electricity market where you can compare and choose a retailer — but Western Australia and the Northern Territory don't, so moving there means connecting with the local incumbent by default. Where competition exists, Energy Made Easy is the free government comparison service for NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, and the ACT; Victoria runs its own separate comparison tool.
How to do it
- Work out whether your new state has a competitive market or a default incumbent (WA, NT) before you spend time comparing retailers that don't actually operate there.
- Where you can switch, compare on Energy Made Easy (or Victorian Energy Compare in Victoria) before signing up anywhere, rather than defaulting to whoever the previous occupant used.
- Arrange your connection before moving day and ask your retailer's required lead time directly — some connections complete same-day if there's a smart meter, others need a technician site visit, which takes longer to schedule.
- Check whether gas at the new address is bottled or reticulated — this changes who you actually need to contact, and bottled gas is arranged with a supplier directly rather than through the electricity retailer.
It's also worth asking your new retailer whether a smart meter is already installed at the address — where one is, the whole switch can often be completed remotely with no site visit needed at all.
Common mistakes
- Assuming you can shop around for electricity in WA or the NT the way you could in Sydney or Melbourne.
- Leaving the connection until moving day, when a technician-required site visit can't be booked on short notice.
- Not asking whether a smart meter is already installed — it changes whether your move-in can be a remote switch or needs someone on site.
What goes wrong
Example scenario
No smart meter at the new address
- What can go wrong
- You arrange electricity on moving day, and the property has no smart meter, so a technician needs to visit.
- The impact
- Site visits can’t be booked at short notice, so you may be without power until one is available.
- How to avoid it
- Arrange the connection before moving day and ask about lead times and whether a smart meter is installed. In WA and the NT you connect with the local incumbent by default; elsewhere, compare on Energy Made Easy or Victorian Energy Compare.
Frequently asked questions
- Can electricity really be connected the same day?
- Often yes, for an existing property with a smart meter already installed — most retailers can process a same-day connection if you request it before around 1pm. Gas is slower: typically 1-5 business days, since it can require an in-person technician visit.
- How much notice should I give before moving?
- 5-10 business days for electricity, gas and internet together is the commonly recommended window — same-day electricity is a genuine option in a pinch, but gas and internet both need more lead time, so don't leave all three to the last minute.