Red Energy is our highest-rated natural gas supplier for 2023, after scoring a perfect five-star result in all six of our research categories. Red Energy beat out ‘big three’ providers Origin, AGL and EnergyAustralia to claim the top spot.
We’ve surveyed more than 1,000 bill-paying customers across New South Wales to find out what they think about their gas suppliers. Price is hugely important, but the best deal for you could also mean great customer service, helpful tools and advice, or having a retailer with a strong focus on environmental sustainability. So, which supplier is really cooking with gas in NSW? Please keep in mind, while this report looks at six of the most prominent retailers in NSW there may be others operating in your area.
Canstar Blue surveyed 1,074 NSW households for their feedback on their natural gas retailer. Respondents had to live in NSW, have a gas account and pay the bills for their response to be eligible.
Respondents rate their satisfaction with their natural gas provider from zero to 10, where zero is extremely dissatisfied and 10 is extremely satisfied. Provider satisfaction was rated by respondents on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the one that receives the highest overall satisfaction rating once all the scores from the overall satisfaction criteria are combined and averaged.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included, so not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Best NSW Natural Gas Providers:
NSW gas customers have crowned Red Energy as the top supplier for 2023, ahead of bigger names Origin, AGL and EnergyAustralia.
Find more detailed information on our ratings methodology.
Here are some of the cheapest gas deals on our database for NSW. These estimated annual costs are based on the Jemena Gas Network in Sydney and yearly gas usage of 18,542MJ, but prices will vary depending on your own circumstances. We show one product per retailer, listed in order of lowest estimated cost. These are products from referral partners†. Our database may not cover all deals in your area, and please check retailer websites for up to date information.
Red Energy achieved a perfect score in this year’s ratings, taking home five stars for overall satisfaction, customer service, value for money, bill and cost clarity, online tools and advice and ease of sign-up.
Red Energy is owned by renewable energy generation company Snowy Hydro and offers customers in NSW a diverse range of gas and electricity products. Its market gas offers come with no lock-in contracts or exit fees. Red Energy also partners with Qantas, Taronga Zoo and BCNA to offer specialised plans with extras such as bonus Qantas Points.
Here are the Red Energy natural gas plans on our database for NSW. These are products from a referral partner†. These estimated annual costs are based on the Jemena Gas Network in Sydney and yearly gas usage of 18,542MJ, but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Origin Energy earned five stars for online tools and advice, and four stars across all other categories including overall satisfaction.
Origin offers a comprehensive range of gas products for NSW households to consider. Most plans come with variable rates for a year, with the ability to manage the account from the Origin app. There is one offer that also includes Everyday Rewards points upon signing up. All of Origin’s gas plans come without exit fees or lock-in contracts, regardless of the benefit period length.
Here are the Origin Energy natural gas plans on our database for NSW. These are products from a referral partner†. These estimated annual costs are based on the Jemena Gas Network in Sydney and yearly gas usage of 18,542MJ, but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
AGL was awarded four stars for online tools and advice, and three stars for overall satisfaction, customer service, value for money, bill and cost clarity and ease of sign-up.
AGL has streamlined its gas options down to a single market offer in NSW, which comes with variable rates and no contracts or exit fees. The retailer occasionally launches new customer promotions, such as sign-up credits, and gives customers flexible billing options. AGL also runs its own rewards program called AGL Rewards which gives customers access to a range of lifestyle deals.
Here are the AGL natural gas plans on our database for NSW. These are products from a referral partner†. These estimated annual costs are based on the Jemena Gas Network in Sydney and yearly gas usage of 18,542MJ, but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
EnergyAustralia received four stars for value for money in 2023, and three stars for overall satisfaction, customer service, bill and cost clarity, online tools and advice and ease of sign-up.
EnergyAustralia has several gas plans for prospective customers in NSW to choose from, one of which even includes a guaranteed discount off both usage and supply charges for one year. Most of EnergyAustralia’s plans come with variable rates, along with no exit fees. Customers can also opt in to carbon neutral energy, whereby the retailer offsets the usage portion of gas charges at no extra cost.
Here are the EnergyAustralia natural gas plans on our database for NSW. These are products from a referral partner†. These estimated annual costs are based on the Jemena Gas Network in Sydney and yearly gas usage of 18,542MJ, but prices will vary depending on your circumstances. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
While energy plans may seem confusing, this report has identified a few key things you can do to get a better deal on natural gas. It might seem like hard work, but when it comes to gas and electricity, you only find the best deals with a little leg work. Here are the three most important things to consider:
Also consider how other consumers rate their energy suppliers. You will never really know how good or bad a retailer is until you’re a customer, so online reviews like ours provide an insight into what you can really expect. It’s the providers that strike the perfect balance between price and good customer service that usually rise to the top of our ratings. This year, Red Energy is the gas supplier to beat in NSW, but be sure to compare a wide range of options before diving in.
Kelseigh Wrigley covered Australia’s retail energy market, growing her industry specific expertise over the last two years. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology and has contributed her skills to online publications Hunter & Bligh and local radio station 4ZZZ.
Meet the Editorial Team
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and two years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Meet the Research TeamThe NSW gas market continues to become more competitive, after price restrictions were lifted in 2017. If our customer ratings are any indicator, it will be worth keeping your eyes peeled for future offers as other retailers attempt to chip away at the dominance of the big three. Here is a list of gas suppliers currently offering plans in NSW:
As always, it’s worth comparing a wide range of plans available in your area before making a decision.
Besides contract types, usage rates, supply charges, tariffs and discounts, the other crucial thing that will impact the amount you pay for gas is where you live. There are three different gas networks in NSW and gas prices can vary significantly between them. For example, an Origin customer on one network might have higher usage charges than another Origin customer with the same plan, living on a different distribution network. This is because energy distributors have their own costs and these are passed on to customers through retailer charges. The three distribution networks in NSW are:
ActewAGL – the primary electricity and gas retailer in the ACT – also serves some customers in regional NSW.
Usage charges will likely make up the majority of your overall energy costs, but it’s also important to pay attention to supply charges, because the providers with lower usage rates often make up for these with higher daily supply charges. These are the costs you incur on an ongoing basis simply for being connected to the network. The cheapest gas usage charges that you’re likely to find in NSW will be around three cents a megajoule – the unit of measurement for gas. To put this into context, a typical gas oven will use around 12 megajoules (MJ) an hour. Fixed daily supply charges usually cost around 40-70 cents.
Fortunately, gas tariffs in NSW are fairly simple. Households are charged for gas in ‘blocks’, with the first block of gas used (say, 20MJ) usually costing the most. For example, you might pay 4.2 cents for the first block of 20 megajoules a day, then 2.5 cents for the next block, and so on.
There are lots of things to think about when it comes to picking a gas supplier for your home. In 2023, we asked respondents to our survey in NSW a range of questions to get a better idea of where customers stand with their natural gas provider. This is what we found:
One quarter (25%) of NSW gas customers signed up to their supplier over the phone and 40% signed up online. Just 39% of NSW survey respondents think they get a good deal on gas, although only 11% have switched gas suppliers in the last two years.
Here are the previous winners of Canstar Blue’s Natural Gas Suppliers – NSW Customer Satisfaction Award:
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