About Electricity and Gas in Melbourne & Victoria

^{Victoria was among the pioneers in deregulating its electricity and gas markets, setting the stage for competition that helps benefit both Melbourne and VIC residents. For over two decades, Victorians have been able to choose from a range of energy retailers, fostering competitive pricing and innovation. In 2019, the Victorian Government introduced the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), a “fair price” initiative regulated by the Essential Services Commission (ECS) designed to provide consumers access to a reasonable electricity deal as energy costs increase. Victoria also leads in smart technology with mandatory rollout of smart meters for all residential and small business customers, a program that began in the late 2000s. This advanced metering infrastructure can provide insights into energy consumption, enabling Melburnians and other Victorian customers to take advantage of time-of-use tariffs, monitor their bills and potentially lower their costs by shifting usage to off-peak times. There are five electricity distributors in Victoria and these are: CitiPower, Powercor, Jemena, United Energy Distribution and Essential Energy. Gas remains a critical energy source in Victoria and the distribution network is served by three gas distributions each with a geographic region. These distributors are: Australian Gas Networks, Multinet Gas and AusNet Services. Government initiatives like Victorian Energy Compare and solar panel incentives can also help consumers, whether they are in central Melbourne or elsewhere in Victoria.}