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Red Energy
Red Energy is a rapidly-growing electricity retailer with a very green background. Read more about them and find out how green they really are here with Savvy’s energy review.
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Red Energy is a 100% Australian company owned by Snowy Hydro, the renewable energy company which operates the Snowy Mountain Hydro-electric Scheme. This scheme is owned by the Australian Government and consists of nine power stations, sixteen dams, 145 kilometres of tunnels and 80 kilometres of aqueducts. Red Energy is the largest electricity retailer to be certified as carbon neutral. Snowy Hydro also owns Lumo Energy, so the two retailers have a common owner.
Founded in 2004, and based in Melbourne, Red Energy is known for its great customer service reputation and its partnership with Qantas, enabling customers to gain frequent flyer points with certain plans. It offers a range of retail and business gas and electricity plans in five states with no lock-in contracts and no exit fees, including a plan specifically for electric vehicle owners offering free power at weekends. It also has a plan which involves the company donating up to $120 a year per customer to the Breast Cancer Network Australia.
Which states or territories does Red Energy operate in?
Currently, Red Energy offers electricity, gas and other solar energy plans in:
- New South Wales
- Victoria
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Australian Capital Territory
What is the size of Red Energy in comparison to other energy retailers?
According to the Australian Energy Regulator’s latest report (Q2 2022/2023), Red Energy now has over 369,380 retail electricity customers, and they command 5.40% of the electricity retail market share. They have almost 103,000 gas customers nationwide, and command 4.5% of gas retail market share, making them the 5th largest energy retailer in Australia.
Pros and cons of using Red Energy as your energy provider
- Sources electricity from renewable hydro-electric generation
- Carbon-neutral certified company
- Offers a variety of gas and electricity contracts to suit different needs
- Has a plan for electric vehicle owners offering free electricity use at the weekends from 12pm to 2pm
- No lock-in contracts
- Tariffs below reference price on some plans
- Earn Frequent Flyer points with the Qantas Red Saver plan
- No contracts available in NT, WA or TAS
- No fixed-rate contracts are available, so prices can fluctuate
- Some Red Energy gas tariffs are on the higher side compared to other retailers
- No pay-on-time discounts
- No phone app to manage your account, website only
How is Red Energy rated as a green energy provider?
According to Greenpeace’s Green Electricity Guide, Red Energy has a score of 6.6/10 overall. This is due to the fact that its parent company, Snowy Hydro, also owns and operates three gas-fired power stations in addition to its hydro-electricity generation. It is also proposing to open a new gas-fired power station at Kurri Kurri, in NSW.
Their scores for these specific criteria are:
- Providing clean, renewable energy: 60%
- Ending coal use by 2030: 100%
- Halting fossil fuel expansion: 0%
- Support for new renewable energy: 100%
- Pollution & environmental harm: 100%
- Transparency in marketing: 100%
*Information from Greenpeace’s Green Electricity Guide is current as of August 2023, but subject to change
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More of your questions about Red Energy
Red Energy's renewable energy matching promise is a commitment to support renewable energy generation in Australia. When customers sign up for Red Energy's renewable energy plans, the company pledges to match their electricity usage with the equivalent amount of electricity generated from renewable sources. This means that for every unit of electricity a customer consumes, Red Energy promises that a unit of renewable energy is added to the grid on their behalf.
Through its ‘Even Pay' scheme, Red Energy offers customers the convenience and predictability of evenly spreading out the cost of their electricity and gas plans over the course of the year. Instead of receiving fluctuating bills each month, customers on the Even Pay plan pay a fixed amount by direct debit based on their estimated yearly energy costs. This amount is divided into equal instalments, making it easier for customers to budget and manage their energy expenses.
No, the Red Energy Rewards Program was withdrawn to new customers in July 2022, but existing customers who are part of the program can still access its benefits.
Red Energy offers a plan called Qantas Red Saver, where customers can earn Qantas Points for paying their electricity and gas bills on time. If you switch to this plan and pay your bills on time, you'll earn two Qantas Points for every $1 spent on energy. To start earning points, you’ll need to link your Red Energy and Qantas Frequent Flyer accounts. New customers or existing customers moving to a new address with Red Energy also earn extra bonus points. You can earn 10,000 bonus Qantas Points for a new electricity plan, and 5,000 bonus Qantas Points for a gas plan.
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