Synergy Review (Understanding Power Rates in WA)

Including Perth, this Synergy review finds that half the Aussies in WA get their power from Synergy!

Synergy is the largest power retailer in WA, with a monopoly in operating out of the SWIS deregulated zone.

The South-West Interconnected System (SWIS) network extends from Kalgoorlie in the east, southwards to Albany, all the way to Kalbarri in the north. 

If you live within these zones, you will have to use Synergy for a power connection – there simply is no other alternative!

Electricity Monster inspects their best plans in Western Australia.

Overall Synergy Review Ratings

Our Synergy review won't be fixating on the price of plans but providing information on their rates. We'll provide ratings on the plan choice and extras such as solar programs!

Overall, our Synergy review scores in this way:

Want to know how we came to those ratings? Keep reading to see how the retailer stacks up in WA.

Synergy Best Plans in WA

Synergy serves homes and businesses that do not consume too much power, both of which are called “non-contestable” customers.

The company claims to have served over a million customers in WA.

Let’s carefully dissect the residential, small business and large business plans they have!

WA Residential

Synergy has three separate plans for WA homeowners – Home Plan, Home Business Plan and the Smart Home Plan.

The Home Plan has flat rates that remain always fixed, with the added benefit of not tying you down to a contract.

That means your rates will remain fixed, as long as no major price changes occur!

The lack of a contract means no exit fees either!

Additionally, if you add another home to the same Synergy account, your daily supply rates will go lower.

For homes that have a smart meter, and desiring different usage rates for peak and off-peak usage, the Smart Home Plan is a great fit.

Peak hours during weekdays run between 3 pm to 9 pm while the off-peak hours run between 9 pm to 7 am all week. 

Between the hours of 7 am to 3 pm, a different tariff called the “shoulder” rate is charged.

On weekends, shoulder times run from 7 am to 9 pm.

This plan too showcases the lack of a contract that locks your home in! 

For homes that are running a business from their premises, the Home Business Plan will combine the bill for your home and business. 

This plan uses a block rate tariff system where the usage rate changes as you use more power.

No contract means no exit fees!

WA Small Businesses

Synergy also gives small businesses in WA, the opportunity to choose between three kinds of plans – The Business Plan, Business Time of Use and the Home Business Plan.

In order to qualify for Synergy’s small business plans, businesses must only spend less than $14,000 on electricity annually.

Another requirement is that businesses must use less than 50,000 kWh of power a year (lower than 137 kWh a day).

The Business Plan exhibits a government-regulated usage rate in a stepped rate plan and is ideal for low/medium voltage businesses.

A stepped or block rate tariff will change your usage rate depending on the power consumed at your business. 

Much like its name suggests, the Business Time of Use plan is a great fit for businesses with working hours set when lower off-peak usage rates apply.

All businesses with a time-of-use meter can make use of this plan although it does mean signing up for a two-year contract.

Peak hours are between 8 am to 10 pm during weekdays while the cost-effective off-peak rates apply from 10 pm to 8 am.

You also won’t have to worry if your business does not have a time-of-use meter, as you can pay Synergy to set one up for you!

The Home Business Plan combines residential and business power usage rates and to qualify your home and business must get power from the same meter. 

For the first 20 units of power you use, you will be charged lower rates that are applicable to homes. After that, you will be charged business rates.

This plan too is a great fit for low/medium voltage businesses and will not tie them down to a contract!

We love that Synergy gives WA business owners direct access to customer support teams.

WA Large Businesses

Unlike homes and small businesses in the SWIS region, large WA businesses are called “contestable customers”.

A business is considered “contestable” if they use at least 50,000 kWh of power annually or spend at least $14,000 annually on power.

As the name suggests, contestable customers can choose whoever they want as their retailer.

In order to make sure that they go nowhere else, Synergy has three great large business plans – The Business Saver, Business Flexi and Business Fixed.

The Business Saver Plan will hand large businesses a 5% discount off power usage charges for accepting a two-year contract.

Businesses can choose between flat usage rates (L3 tariff) or adopt time-of-use rates (R3 tariff) that charge differently for different times of the day. 

Peak hours are between 8 am to 10 pm while lower off-peak rates apply between 10 pm to 8 am on weekdays.

The discount will apply only if you agree to receive your bill via email and set up a direct debit option for bill payment.

For large commercial and industrial businesses that want lower usage rates than government-regulated prices, the Business Flexi Plan is what they need.

Businesses can choose between flat usage rates or time-of-use usage rates, depending on their special needs.

Peak hours are from 8 am to 10 pm while off-peak hours are from 10 pm to 8 am on weekdays.

This plan will run for two years as well.

The Business Fixed Plan has usage rates that remain fixed through the two-year duration of the contract.

All of these plans will throw in an interval meter for good measure, which Synergy says will save your business over $800!

Beyond these plans, Synergy also allows large businesses to enjoy plans that are suited for low or high voltage power needs.

Synergy and Solar

When Synergy reported a 6% fall in power sales in 2018, the company knew something was going wrong.

As company revenue fell below $3 billion, an internal Synergy review found a serious threat that they had to adapt to – Solar Power.

Today over a quarter of WA homes have rooftop solar panels!

Synergy faced the challenge head-on and decided to revamp their business.

The first step was to form a panel and solar battery installation arm called SolarReturn.

Between 2016 and 2018, the company has set up panels in over a thousand WA homes.

Synergy claims that homes with over 4 members, that opt for SolarReturn’s 5kW solar system and battery, can save close to $3000 a year while also recouping their investment in under a decade!

Is Synergy Right For Me? 

Taking a look at the customer complaint history during a Synergy review gives a great picture of how seriously the company takes customer service.

Between 2013 and 2018, Synergy solved over 95% of power-related complaints from residential customers in 15 days, on average.

In comparison, Horizon Power could only solve a little over 66% of complaints¹ in 15 days, over the same period, on average,

Between 2015 to 2017, only about 0.2%¹ of Synergy household customers were complaining on average, compared to Horizon Power customers complaining roughly four times that!

Their call centre performance is good – only about 25%¹ of calls weren’t answered in under 30 seconds between 2015 to 2017.

Synergy won’t leave you unanswered either!

Less than 2%¹ of the calls they receive were unanswered between 2015 and 2017, less than half of Horizon Power customers over the same period.

Synergy’s “My Account” service allows customers to access a range of services from paying bills to bill smoothing, applying for payment extensions or even monitor their usage!

Beyond the operations of their solar installation arm, Synergy is also working on an Electric Vehicle plan for homes with an incentive for joining in the first.

What Next After Considering Synergy?

If you would like to know more about our Synergy review, then go ahead and ask us!

Our 100% Free Service will allow you to compare electricity and gas rates!

Additionally, we also can sort out your telco and internet!

By all means, don’t waste another second! Call us today on 1300 232 848!

¹ ERAWA Report published April 2019 “Annual Performance Report – Energy Retailers 2017/18”