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Amber Electric
Amber Electric is a unique energy provider in Australia who do things slightly differently. Read more about them and find out how they compare to other electricity retailers here through Savvy’s energy review.
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Amber Electric is a small energy provider that offers unique energy plans in Australia. It is a 100% Australian-owned company established in 2017, with its headquarters based in Melbourne. The two founders of the company, Dan Adams and Chris Thompson, say their goal is to ‘use new technologies to benefit customers and build a more sustainable world.’
Amber’s unique selling feature is that it offers electricity at wholesale prices – that is, the price that most retailers buy their power for. They enable customers to see how much their electricity is costing in real time through a sophisticated smart app, enabling customers to choose when to use power-hungry appliances, and when to export electricity back into the national grid if they have a solar power system.
However, although this sounds like a recipe for far cheaper electricity, it’s worth remembering that wholesale electricity prices can be very volatile, changing every five minutes. Aussies who have a rooftop solar power system and battery storage are those most likely to benefit from Amber Electric’s volatile energy plans.
Disclaimer: Please note that Savvy does not represent Amber Electric for their retail energy products. All listed information is correct as of August 2023 but subject to change.
In which states or territories does Amber Electric operate in?
Amber Electic offers electricity and solar power plans in:
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Southeast Queensland
- South Australia
- ACT
What is the size of Amber Electric in comparison to other energy retailers?
According to the Australian Energy Regulator’s latest report (Q2 2022/2023), Amber Electric now has over 5,700 retail electricity customers, and they command around 0.10% of the retail electricity market share.
What are some of the pros and cons of using Amber Electric as your energy provider?
- Very good environmental credentials
- Offers access to the wholesale electricity price
- Smart mobile app which enables you to check the energy price in real time
- Price protection guarantee in place
- Partnered with CommBank for a special offer of waived monthly subscription fees
- $19 a month subscription fee
- Fixed-rate electricity plans are available, but the monthly subscription fee still applies
- Wholesale electricity prices can be highly volatile
- You must have a smart meter to be able to use Amber Electric
- Energy prices may not be cheaper if you don't have a solar system and battery storage
How is Amber Electric rated as a green energy provider?
According to Greenpeace’s Green Electricity Guide, Amber Electric has a very healthy score of 7/10. This is due to helping customers accelerate the transition to 100% renewable energy, and supporting them to use more power when renewable energy is plentiful in the grid.
Their scores for these specific criteria are:
- Providing clean, renewable energy: 40%
- Ending coal use by 2030: 80%
- Halting fossil fuel expansion: 100%
- Support for new renewable energy: 80%
- Pollution & environmental harm: 80%
- Transparency in marketing: 80%
*Information from Greenpeace’s Green Electricity Guide current as of August 2023, but subject to change
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Frequently asked questions about Amber Electric
Amber Electric sells you electricity at the same wholesale price they buy it for. That means they charge you the same amount they pay for the electricity. On the wholesale electricity market, the price changes every five minutes depending on demand. Amber provides a useful smart app that lets you know in real time the price of electricity, allowing you to make informed decisions about how much power you use at any given time. This could help you save money, especially if you use electricity when it's cheaper, like when the sun is out and solar power is plentiful.
Amber has no fixed feed-in tariff (FiT). Instead, its real-time FiT is driven by the 30-minute wholesale price of energy. This means when the wholesale price of electricity is low, your feed-in tariff will also be low. However, if you have battery storage, and are able to supply power to the grid when demand is high and supply is low, you could make money in the form of credits on your electricity bill.
Yes. If you end up with a credit on your energy plan, you can choose either to have that amount deposited to your bank account, or have it applied to your next electricity bill.
Amber Electric's Bill Guarantee is designed to ensure peace of mind by capping the maximum amount you'll pay for your electricity. They pass on real-time wholesale electricity prices directly to you, and while this price is usually highly competitive, their guarantee promises you won't pay more on average for your usage during a quarter than their published Bill Guarantee rates. If you do, they'll credit you the difference.
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