The Simply Energy NRMA deal
NRMA has been promoting special offers from Simply Energy to their members for many years.
It is reasonable for NRMA members to expect that the Simply Energy NRMA deal was a very good one, otherwise why would they promote it?
Unfortunately, we understand that NRMA is paid handsomely by Simply Energy for the privilege of using the NRMA marketing channel for sub-standard energy deals.
Peter’s case study
When Peter approached us to compare electricity for his home, we saw yet again how uncompetitive the NRMA electricity rates really were.
Peter, who lives in Penrith, could have saved $315 p.a. by switching to the cheapest electricity price compared with the Simply Energy NRMA plan designed specifically to ‘benefit’ NRMA Members.
Savings available in different towns in NSW
It gets worse. If Peter had lived in Newcastle, he would be losing $357 p.a. by choosing the NRMA electricity rates than choosing the best available prices.
The following table and graph show the savings available in 3 different towns across NSW covering each of the electricity distributors, Endeavour Energy, Ausgrid and Essential Energy. For the savings calculation we used Peter’s usage and electricity tariff type. There are similar savings available for other tariff types.
Savings on Simply Energy NRMA deal by Town
| Comparison | Newcastle | Penrith | Wagga |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simply Energy NRMA Cost/year | $2571 | $3012 | $2578 |
| Cheapest Electricity provider Cost/year | $2214 | $2639 | $2245 |
| Savings | $357 | $374 | $333 |
This means that an NRMA member like Peter could save from $333 – $357 by getting the cheapest prices for electricity rather than the Simply Energy NRMA offer in NSW.
Simply Energy do offer a credit of $200 on your first electricity bill, although there is no similar benefit for gas. Unfortunately this benefit does not compensate for the high rates on offer. Over a year other plans are still $133-$157 less expensive. It does suggest that you could get the credit from Simply Energy and switch to the cheapest plan after the credit is exhausted.
Simply Solar NRMA
We also checked out the Simply Energy NRMA solar plans. While they are not the cheapest plan in the market, they are reasonably competitive as things stand today. The solar NRMA simply energy plan has quite good feed in tariff rates which compensate for the higher energy usage prices. A typical customer in the Ausgrid area would be $50-80 pa worse off. When allowing for the $200 up front credit, it’s not a bad plan.
Energy Umpire
Energy Umpire offers a simple solution for NRMA members. We compare every offer from every supplier and recommend the cheapest. We do not accept any commissions from suppliers so you get an independent comparison. When there is a cheaper price available, you get it. For a free comparison and savings calculation visit our website.