Energy Storage as a Service (ESaaS)

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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?

Step 1 - Check your location is eligible

Confirm you are in an eligible catchment area based on maps provided below
Step 2 - Review retailer offers

Review offers from participating retailers - Origin and EnergyAustralia
Step 3 - Register your interest

Register your interest or select a ESaaS plan with your preferred retailer
Step 4 - Sign Up

Follow your retailer's sign up process
Step 5 - Retailer confirms outcome

Your retailer will advise you on an outcome and next steps
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.

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.

Adamstown

Bankstown

Beacon Hill

Bexley

Blackwall

Bondi

Cabarita

Cameron Park

Cammeray

Maitland

Narara

North Epping

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

Ausgrid community batteries unlock significant savings for customers

MEDIA RELEASE | Ausgrid has launched its latest community battery under the Federal Government’s Community Batteries for Household Solar Program and announced a partnership with retailers offering ESaaS.