In short
In most apartments yes: each unit has its own meter and its own account with a retailer, and you switch like a house does. In an embedded network, where the building buys electricity in bulk and an on-seller bills each unit, your choice is limited: you can usually ask for an energy-only contract with an outside retailer, but it is a harder road, and the on-seller's price is capped by the regulator rather than set by competition.
Two kinds of building
| Individually metered | Each unit has its own NMI and its own retailer. The most common case. You compare and switch exactly like a house, and the daily supply charge matters more because a unit uses less. |
|---|---|
| Embedded network | The building has one connection to Energex and its own meters behind it. The body corporate, or an on-seller it appoints, buys electricity in bulk and bills each unit. Common in newer high-rise on the Gold Coast and in inner Brisbane, and in retirement villages and caravan parks. |
How to tell which you are in
- Look at who sends the bill. A licensed retailer's name means an individual connection. A body corporate, a strata manager or a company you have never heard of that describes itself as an on-seller or embedded network operator means an embedded network.
- Look for an NMI. An individually metered unit has one on its bill; a unit in an embedded network usually has a child NMI or none.
- Ask the body corporate or the agent. They know.
What choice you have in an embedded network
Less than in a house, and it is worth being honest about that. The on-seller's price is capped by rules the regulator sets, so it is not a free-for-all, but it is not chosen by competition either. You have a right to seek an energy-only contract with a retailer of your choice, but the retailer has to be willing to serve a customer behind another party's connection, and few are set up for it. Complaints about an on-seller's bills or conduct go to the Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland, which covers embedded networks.
What matters in a unit that can choose
- The daily supply charge. A unit uses less electricity than a house, so the fixed charge is a larger share of the bill and the plan with the lowest one often wins.
- The hot water. Some buildings run central gas or electric hot water and bill it separately; some units have their own tank on a controlled load. Compare the plan on whichever you have.
- Air-conditioning is still the biggest load. A north- or west-facing unit runs it more than a south-facing one.
Quick answers
How do I know if my apartment is in an embedded network?
If your electricity bill comes from the body corporate, a strata manager or an on-seller rather than from a licensed retailer, you are in one. An individually metered unit has its own NMI on the bill and a retailer's name at the top. The body corporate or your agent can confirm it.
Can I switch retailer inside an embedded network?
You have the right to seek an energy-only contract with a retailer of your choice, but the retailer must be willing to supply a customer behind another party's connection and few are. The on-seller's prices are capped by the regulator. If you think you are being overcharged, the Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland handles embedded network complaints.
Sources
Official pages this answer relies on. If one of them changes, tell us and we will update the page.
- Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland · Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland
- Energy Made Easy · Australian Energy Regulator
- Finding your NMI · Energy Made Easy, Australian Energy Regulator