Electricity providers in WA: what you can and can't compare

Why you can't switch electricity retailer in most of WA

WA is outside the National Electricity Market and the National Energy Retail Law. In the South West Interconnected System, which Synergy describes as running from Kalbarri in the north to Albany in the south and east to Kalgoorlie, Western Power owns the network and Synergy is the only retailer allowed to supply 'non-contestable' customers, those using under 50 MWh a year. Outside that system, Horizon Power supplies most regional and remote towns.

Both are government-owned and charge the same regulated tariffs under the Uniform Tariff Policy, so a household in Broome pays the same rate as one in Perth. The prices are set each year in the State Budget. For how the competitive markets in the eastern states work, our energy hub explains how to compare electricity plans across Australia.

Synergy's home plans side by side

You cannot change retailer, but you can change plan, and Synergy's time-of-use plans charge very different rates at different times. A household that can run appliances, hot water or a pool pump between 9am and 3pm, or that has solar and a battery, should check its smart meter data against each plan before assuming A1 is cheapest. Avoiding the 3pm to 9pm peak is what makes the time-of-use plans pay. Our Synergy profile has the Synergy A1 tariff and buyback rates in full, with the DEBS solar buyback by time of day.

Gas: the cheapest gas supplier in Perth depends on your use

All WA gas customers can choose their retailer, and no retailer is cheapest for every Perth home: it depends on how much gas you use, especially in winter. Retailers cannot charge more than a regulated maximum under a standard contract, but can offer lower prices on market (non-standard) contracts, so compare those offers against the caps below using a winter bill. Synergy itself cannot sell gas to customers using less than 0.18 TJ a year. ATCO Gas Australia runs the main gas distribution network.

Six retailers had residential gas customers in WA at 30 June 2025, according to the Economic Regulation Authority: Alinta Energy (422,474), Kleenheat (226,284), AGL (109,642), Origin Energy (23,498), ENGIE (16,144) and Supagas (873). Not all supply every area, so ask a retailer whether it can supply your address, as the ERA suggests.

Solar: the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme

WA's feed-in arrangement is the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS), paid by Synergy or Horizon Power. Synergy's published DEBS rates pay 10 c/kWh for exports between 3pm and 9pm and 2 c/kWh at other times. That structure rewards west-facing panels and batteries that export in the late afternoon and evening.

The WA Residential Battery Scheme adds a rebate of up to $1,300 for Synergy customers or $3,800 for Horizon Power customers, plus no-interest loans of up to $10,000 for households earning under $210,000, on top of the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount. Joining a virtual power plant is a condition, and the scheme runs until 100,000 rebates have been paid.

Rebates and where to complain

The WA Government's Energy Assistance Payment credits eligible Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card and Veterans' Affairs card holders with $377.14 a year. Customers not billed by Synergy or Horizon Power may qualify through the Energy Concession Extension Scheme. Complaints that your retailer does not resolve go to the Energy and Water Ombudsman Western Australia.