Energy Storage as a Service (ESaaS)
A tariff option for Community Battery sourced electricity
Bondi community battery

What is Energy Storage as a Service?

Energy Storage as a Service (ESaaS) is an energy retail plan that allows multiple eligible customers to access a shared community battery, saving some customers more than $200 per year. This approach can deliver cost savings for consumers, improve grid reliability, facilitate greater integration of renewable energy and support home electrification. ESaaS will be offered by energy retailers partnering with Ausgrid under an innovative trial tariff and is made available to residential customers that live near an eligible community battery.

Local Use Of System Network Trial Tariffs

In its latest regulatory proposal Ausgrid has included sub-threshold Community Battery tariffs for Local-Use-of-System (LUOS) charges that enable ESaaS bill benefits. The LUOS trial tariffs offered by Ausgrid are available to any retailer with an eligible residential ESaaS customer offering from 1st July 2024. The details of the arrangement are agreed in a trial tariff agreement between participating retailers and Ausgrid. We currently have two partnerships in place with Origin and EnergyAustralia.

How do I sign up?

  1. Step 1 - Check your location is eligible

    Confirm you are in an eligible catchment area based on maps provided below

  2. Step 2 - Review retailer offers

    Review offers from participating retailers - Origin and EnergyAustralia

  3. Step 3 - Register your interest

    Register your interest or select a ESaaS plan with your preferred retailer

  4. Step 4 - Sign Up

    Follow your retailer's sign up process

  5. Step 5 - Retailer confirms outcome

    Your retailer will advise you on an outcome and next steps

  6. Step 6 - Your bill benefits arrive!

    Enjoy your energy bill reductions and additional benefits!

Customer eligibility for trial

  • Catchment area: Be located inside an eligible battery catchment area near a community battery (see below).
  • ESaaS energy retail offer: Find and accept an eligible offer from participating retailers.
  • Residential customers: Be a residential customer and have no individual household battery.
  • Most customers qualify: Have solar or not, rent or own, live in a house or apartment
  • Meter: Have a Type 4 meter (smart meter) installed, or if no smart meter is installed yet, choose to upgrade to have one installed.

 

Participating retailers

Find out more by visiting participating energy retailers EnergyAustralia and Origin Energy.

Energy Australia Logo   

 

Community Battery catchment areas

  • The number of potential customers in a catchment area is set by Ausgrid based on network connectivity and battery benefit.
  • All commissioned Ausgrid and third party-owned community batteries automatically participate (connected at 11kV or below; with Critical Peak Pricing Tariffs (EA334/335 and EA374/375); without any assigned tariff).
  • There are currently catchment areas within Adamstown, Bankstown, Beacon Hill, Bexley North, Blackwall, Bondi, Cabarita, Cameron Park, Cammeray, Maitland, Narara, North Epping and Warriewood.
Customer savings
Lower consumer electricity bills through shared access to battery storage and no upfront cost for customers to generate savings
Similar benefits as a home battery
Participating in a community battery is a similar experience as having an individual battery at home
Complements rooftop solar
Supports and is complementary with rooftop solar and general home electrification.
An option for apartments and non-solar homes
Available to renters and owners, in houses and apartments to customers with and without solar