Demand pricing plans are designed to encourage you to use less electricity at peak times when demand for electricity is at its highest, which can cause a lot of strain on the electricity network. This pricing plan is designed to reflect the cost to the network of this load in a more equitable way.
Demand pricing measures demand on the electricity network during the daily peak demand window. For ACT residential customers, this peak demand window is between 5-8pm AEST. For ACT business customers, the peak demand period is between 7am-5pm on weekdays.
Demand pricing fact sheet
What are the benefits of a demand pricing plan?
More equitable
Each property is charged for the level of demand it places on the network during the daily peak period.
Outside of this daily peak period, you'll have access to one of the lowest electricity usage charges of all of ActewAGL’s plans. If you can spread your usage outside the peak period, you can make real savings.
More control
A demand pricing plan gives you an opportunity to lower your electricity bills, simply by using some appliances outside the daily peak period.
How it works
Demand charges are calculated monthly, based on your maximum electricity demand over a 30 minute interval during the peak demand period.
How demand pricing is calculated
| Your maximum demand (calculated within a 30 minute interval and measured in kWh) and converted to kW | X | Demand charge rate in kW (rate set out in ActewAGL’s schedule of charges) | X | Number of days in the month | = monthly demand charge |
For example
Let’s say your household uses a number of appliances one night between 6pm and 6.30pm which consume 4kWh of electricity, which is equivalent to 8kW over an hour.
If this 30 minute interval is the maximum peak usage in a calendar month between 5–8pm, it ends up being your maximum demand for that month.
So, your demand charge for that month will be:
| Maximum demand: 8kW | X | Demand charge rate: $0.16816 (inc GST)* | X | Number of days in the month: 30 days | = Demand charge: $40.36 |
The maximum demand resets each calendar month. For quarterly bills, you’ll find three demand charges, one for each calendar month.
*Prices are demonstration samples only.
Tips for managing a demand pricing plan:
- Time-shift some appliances, like dryers and washing machines, to outside the peak period. You can set and forget by plugging timers into power points for appliances that don’t have a timer built in.
- Spread out your individual appliance usage over the 5–8pm peak period. This will help you avoid a big peak during any 30 minute interval.
- Consider gas for some of your energy needs.