Visit our energy saving tip guide for more information.

Sumo’s prices are subject to change, and we will notify you if we do. The energy rules permit retailers to notify customers by no later than their next bill after the price change. We will give you notice in writing as early as we can, which will usually be well in advance of the price change.

If you have a complaint, please contact us so we can attempt to resolve the matter for you.

 

Website: sumo.com.au
Phone: 13 88 60

 

You always have the option to contact the ombudsman in your state through the details below for assistance or review of the outcome of your complaint.

 

Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW


Energy & Water Ombudsman Victoria

 

Energy & Water Ombudsman Queensland

You can find all the information you need at our How to read my bill page.

Check your junk or spam folder in your emails as some email providers automatically filter your emails if they believe it is junk or spam. Once you have marked anything from Sumo as not junk or spam, nothing we send you should go to that folder. If you still haven’t received this within 6 business days (if you have selected post) or within 4 business days (for email) please send us an enquiry via email or call us on 13 88 60.

If you have a solar system at your property, you can be paid for electricity you feed back into the grid. Sumo’s feed-in tariffs differ depending on which State you live in and depending on your eligibility for various State-based schemes.

 

Below is a summary of what we offer. We also make special offers from time to time which may not be set out below.

 

Victoria – General Feed-in Tariff

From 1 July 2021, Sumo offers 5.2 cents/kWh for excess electricity fed back into the grid. The general feed-in tariff is available for new and existing net-metered solar or other renewable energy systems, such as wind, hydro or biomass, with a rated capacity of less than 100 kW. Sumo’s Solar Feed-in Agreement applies. Feed-in tariff rates are subject to change at any time (typically 1 July each year), and include GST where applicable.

 

Victoria – Premium Feed-in Tariff (PFiT)

The Premium Feed-in Tariff is closed to new applicants. Existing eligible households, businesses and community organizations with small-scale systems of 5 kW or less receive a credit of 60 cents/kWh for excess electricity fed back into the grid. Sumo’s Solar Feed-in Agreement applies. Full details can be found here.

 

NSW – General Feed-in Tariff

From 1 July 2021, Sumo offers 5.5 cents/kWh for excess electricity fed back into the grid. The retailer feed-in tariff is available for eligible net-metered solar systems with a capacity of less than 10 kW. Feed-in tariff rates are subject to change at any time, and include GST where applicable.

 

QLD – Market Feed-in Tariff

From 1 July 2020 , Sumo offers 6.0 cents/kWh for excess electricity fed back into the grid. The market feed-in tariff is available to net-metered solar systems with a capacity of less than 10 kW. Feed-in tariff rates are subject to change at any time, and include GST where applicable.

 

QLD – Solar Bonus Scheme (SBS)

The Solar Bonus Scheme is closed to new applicants. Existing eligible households and small businesses with small-scale systems of 30 kW or less receive a credit of 44 cents/kWh for excess electricity fed back into the grid. Eligible customers will continue to receive this rate until 1 July 2028. Full details can be found here.

 

SA – General Feed-in Tariff

From 1 July 2021, Sumo offers 8.0 cents/kWh for excess electricity fed back into the grid. The general feed-in tariff is available to net-metered solar systems with a capacity of up to 10kW. Feed-in tariff rates are subject to change at any time, and include GST where applicable.

 

SA – Distributor Feed-in Tariff

The Distributor Feed-in Tariff is closed to new applicants. Existing eligible customers with solar systems that were connected to the grid before 1 October 2011 receive a credit of 44 cents/kWh for excess electricity fed back into the grid. Full details can be found here.

At Sumo, we have no lock in contracts or no exit fees.

Customers who joined Sumo prior to 1 July 2019 may have discounts off their usage charges only. We do not apply discounts to the daily supply charge, or any additional fees and charges. Post 1 July 2019 we now offer customers a new benefits product.

Please find a copy of our latest retail Market Terms and Conditions here.

You may be wondering, why is Sumo increasing the price of my electricity? The short answer is, it is becoming more expensive to supply. Generation costs have risen 150% in the last 18 months.

 

Below we have given you the longer answer and it’s worth a read to give you a more in-depth understanding of why price rises are happening and what Sumo is doing about it.

 

1. Generation
Climate change and ageing assets are forcing the closure of cheap coal fired power stations like Victoria’s Hazelwood, and to fill the void we rely on more expensive gas fired power to meet Victoria’s demand. As more of Australia’s coal fired stations come up for closure in the coming years, we will need to generate more and more electricity by other means such as gas to meet customer demand.

Renewable energy sources are still expensive and they don’t generate electricity all the time. The good news is they’re becoming cheaper, and batteries will help to supply electricity when renewable sources don’t, like at night when the sun isn’t shining.

Historically, gas lines have run from the Bass Strait direct to Victoria, giving us cheap and plentiful gas. However, Australia’s ever-growing gas network has seen this gas being delivered into New South Wales and Queensland, and for the first time in 40 years gas is now being shipped overseas to foreign buyers in Asia. Unfortunately, sending Australia’s gas overseas means that Australians must pay the higher global price for gas. And so long as we still rely on gas to generate electricity, this is also driving up the wholesale price of electricity.

 

2. Distribution
Once electricity has been generated, someone needs to send it to you via the poles and wires – these are who we call the ‘distributors’. The distributors own and look after the network that connects the electricity to your home.

Every few years energy distributors are given the go ahead from the Australian Energy Regulator to upgrade their networks and then charge that cost back, plus a little more, to you the customer. Australia’s networks need to cover large distances, but we also expect them to be very reliable (‘gold-plated’), which costs money. To illustrate, America has a total of 320 million people and a network worth $126 billion; in Australia we have 24 million people but a network that is worth over $100 billion! The cost of that network has been passed onto you, the consumer.

 

3. Retailers
As a retailer (Sumo) we buy our energy from the generators, pay a fee to the distributors, and then sell this to you the customer. As a business, I’m sure you can appreciate we also need to charge a margin so that we can provide you service and support, such as getting your home connected. At Sumo we keep our costs to a minimum because we too are energy customers and understand the pain and frustration of mounting energy costs.

So, what is Sumo doing about rising prices? We are working hard to wrestle better power prices from those that produce energy. We are lobbying governments and engaging with national regulators to improve the situation for customers.

As your retail electricity supplier, we’re determined that all our customers are armed with the information they need to monitor their energy usage. That’s why we have introduced a proactive text messaging system so that when we see you are using more power than you usually do – which will result in higher bills – we’ll alert you and provide tips on how you can keep your bills down.

 

In the meantime, we’ll be working as hard as ever to ensure our customers have access to the best value.

Moving to Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland or South Australia? Let’s get you connected. Click here for more information or simply call us now on 13 88 60.

Smart meters are two-way digital meters that measure and record electricity usage (per kWh) every 30 minutes. This data is automatically sent to the electricity distributor or energy retailer. For more information please see our article on smart meters.

Unfortunately, no. This is due to the different supply and billing cycles of the differing products offered by Sumo.

No. We have a variety of payment options including telephone, online, and BPAY all of which can be found here or on the front page of your bill. A lot of our customers use the quick pay button on the front page of our website. We encourage direct debit because it is the easiest way to save you time and never forget a bill.

Making changes to the way you use electricity could help you save on your next electricity bill.

 

Here are a few simple ideas for your home:

 

  • Turn appliances off at the wall (even standby mode uses energy).
  • Use a power board to supply electricity to more than one appliance.
  • Turn off lights in rooms where you don’t need them on.
  • Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescent energy saving globes.
  • Consider using spotlights or lamps instead of using main lights.
  • Avoid cheap little heaters. The one-off savings you make on the purchase may turn out to be a long-term drain on your energy usage.
  • Microwaves use less electricity than an oven.
  • Turn your heaters off when you go to bed.
  • Use economy cycles on your dishwasher and washing machine.
  • Wash your clothes using cold water
  • Set your fridge temperature to 4-5 degrees and your freezer temperature between -15 and -18 degrees Celsius.

 

Visit these sites for electricity saving ideas:

 

sustainability.vic.gov.au
energyrating.gov.au
victorianenergysaver.vic.gov.au

 

Did you know, some Federal and State Governments offer financial rebates for upgrading to an environmentally friendly hot water system? Check out www.hotwaterrebate.com.au