Who Owns Australia's Energy Retailers? (2026)
Most electricity brands in Australia belong to a handful of larger groups, some of them overseas and some owned by governments. Here is who owns which retailer as at September 2026, and how much of the market the biggest ones hold.
Australia has dozens of electricity retailers, but a large share of households buy from a few big groups. AGL and Origin Energy are Australian companies listed on the ASX. EnergyAustralia, the third of the ‘big three’, is owned by Hong Kong’s CLP Group. Several well-known brands belong to governments: Red Energy and Lumo to the federal government’s Snowy Hydro, Momentum to Hydro Tasmania, and Synergy, Jacana Energy and Aurora Energy to their state or territory. Others are owned from Singapore, France, China or by Shell.
This guide lists who owns each retailer as at September 2026, from the retailers’ own statements and the Australian Energy Regulator’s reports, and explains how concentrated the market is.
Who owns which energy retailer
| Retailer | Owner | Where the owner is based | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGL | AGL Energy Limited (ASX) | Australia | Listed company |
| OVO Energy Australia | AGL (since April 2024) | Australia | Listed company subsidiary |
| Origin Energy | Origin Energy Limited (ASX) | Australia | Listed company |
| EnergyAustralia | CLP Group | Hong Kong | Foreign-owned |
| Red Energy | Snowy Hydro | Australia | Australian Government owned |
| Lumo Energy | Snowy Hydro | Australia | Australian Government owned |
| Momentum Energy | Hydro Tasmania | Australia | Tasmanian Government owned |
| Alinta Energy | Sembcorp Industries (from 11 June 2026) | Singapore | Foreign-owned |
| ENGIE (formerly Simply Energy) | ENGIE group | France | Foreign-owned |
| Powershop | Shell Energy Australia (since 1 February 2022) | Part of the Shell group | Foreign-owned |
| Kogan Energy | Sold by Powershop Australia | Part of the Shell group | Brand of a foreign-owned retailer |
| Tango Energy / Pacific Blue | State Power Investment Corporation (since 2016) | China | Foreign state-owned |
| Amber Electric | Founded by Chris Thompson and Dan Adams in 2017 | Australia | Private, venture-backed |
| ActewAGL | Joint venture of AGL and Icon Water (ACT Government) | Australia | Joint venture |
| Synergy | Government of Western Australia | Australia | State government owned |
| Jacana Energy | Northern Territory Government | Australia | Territory government owned |
| Aurora Energy | Describes itself as 100% Tasmanian owned | Australia | Tasmanian owned |
Sources are listed below. Ownership changes: Alinta, for example, was owned by Hong Kong’s Chow Tai Fook Enterprises from 2017 until June 2026.
The big three and how concentrated the market is
The AER groups AGL, Origin Energy and EnergyAustralia as Tier 1 retailers. At 30 June 2025, in the states under the national energy rules (NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania and the ACT), they served 60.9% of residential electricity customers and 76.5% of residential gas customers. The rest of the market is split between Tier 2 retailers (23.8% of residential electricity customers) and the regional incumbents: Ergon Energy Retail in regional Queensland, ActewAGL in the ACT and Aurora Energy in Tasmania (15.3% together).
The big three’s share has been falling slowly. The AER reports that EnergyAustralia lost around 113,000 residential customers between 2020–21 and 2024–25, while Tier 2 retailers such as Red Energy, Amber Electric, Energy Locals and Powershop recorded the largest increases. Red Energy became the fourth-largest retailer, with over 700,000 electricity and gas customers.
| Retailer | Residential electricity customers | Share | Residential gas customers | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin Energy | 1,848,188 | 26.5% | 610,441 | 26.0% |
| AGL | 1,486,942 | 21.3% | 803,407 | 34.3% |
| EnergyAustralia | 911,588 | 13.1% | 379,148 | 16.2% |
| Red Energy | 554,567 | 8.0% | 164,217 | 7.0% |
| Alinta Energy | 313,344 | 4.5% | 79,629 | 3.4% |
At 30 June 2025, in NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania and the ACT only (Victoria, WA and the NT are not included). Source: AER Retailer Report Cards 2024–25.
Government-owned retailers
Several retailers are owned by governments:
- Red Energy and Lumo Energy are owned by Snowy Hydro, which the Australian Government owns. Both sell on the east coast and in SA.
- Momentum Energy is owned by Hydro Tasmania, the Tasmanian Government’s hydro-electric business, and sells mainly in Victoria.
- Synergy is owned by the WA Government and is the only retailer most WA households on the Western Power network can buy electricity from.
- Jacana Energy is an NT Government-owned corporation and the Territory’s largest electricity retailer.
- Aurora Energy supplies most Tasmanian households and describes itself as 100% Tasmanian owned.
- ActewAGL in Canberra is a joint venture between AGL and the ACT Government’s Icon Water.
Does ownership affect your bill or supply?
No. The electricity you use comes through the same network whoever your retailer is, and power from every generator is mixed together in the grid, so buying from a hydro-owned retailer does not mean your home runs on hydro. Every retailer in your state is bound by the same consumer rules, such as the price caps and bill requirements, and is regulated by the same body.
Ownership can still matter to people for other reasons, such as preferring profits to stay in Australia or with a public owner. If it matters to you, use the table above, then compare the plans from the retailers you are comfortable with on price and terms.
Profiles of individual retailers
We have profiled some of the retailers above in more detail, including their plan types and regulator actions: AGL, Origin Energy, EnergyAustralia, Red Energy, Alinta Energy, Momentum Energy, GloBird Energy and Synergy. For how to compare plans across all of them, see our energy comparison hub.
Frequently asked questions
Which energy companies are Australian owned?
Among the larger retailers, AGL and Origin Energy are Australian companies listed on the ASX. Red Energy and Lumo Energy are owned by Snowy Hydro, which is owned by the Australian Government. Momentum Energy is owned by Hydro Tasmania, a Tasmanian Government business. Synergy (WA), Jacana Energy (NT) and Aurora Energy (Tasmania) are state or territory owned. Smaller retailers such as Amber Electric say they are Australian founded and owned.
Which energy companies are foreign owned?
EnergyAustralia is owned by CLP Group of Hong Kong, Alinta Energy by Sembcorp Industries of Singapore (since June 2026), ENGIE by the French ENGIE group, Tango Energy's parent Pacific Blue by China's State Power Investment Corporation, and Powershop by Shell Energy Australia.
Who are the big three energy retailers?
AGL, Origin Energy and EnergyAustralia. The AER calls them Tier 1 retailers. Together they served 60.9% of residential electricity customers in NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania and the ACT at 30 June 2025.
Which is the largest electricity retailer in Australia?
In the AER's figures for the states under the national energy rules, Origin Energy had the most residential electricity customers at 30 June 2025 (1,848,188, a 26.5% share), followed by AGL (1,486,942) and EnergyAustralia (911,588). Red Energy was the fourth-largest retailer overall.
Does it matter who owns my energy retailer?
It makes no difference to your supply: the same network delivers the same electricity whichever retailer you choose, and every retailer must follow the same consumer rules in your state. Ownership can matter to you for other reasons, such as where profits go, but it is not a guide to price or service. Compare plans on price and terms.
