Business electricity in the Powercor network

Powercor operates the poles and wires across western Victoria, including Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. Every business site in that area connects to this network, and every retailer selling to the site buys its distribution services from Powercor and passes those charges through.

State or territory: Victoria
Service area: western Victoria, including Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo
Network operator: Powercor
Who sells electricity: Retailers — Powercor does not sell electricity to customers

Business electricity plans in the Powercor network

Advertised offers, ranked by estimated annual cost for 20,000 kWh a year.

As at 10 May 2026

Business electricity offers in the Powercor network, ranked by estimated annual cost
Retailer	Plan	Usage rate	Supply charge	Est. annual
Origin Energy	Origin Business Usage Advantage - CIMET(Single Rate with Demand and Controlled Load)	18.3c	$1/day	$4,196
Origin Energy	Origin Business Go Variable - CIMET (Single Rate with Demand and Controlled Load)	18.8c	$1/day	$4,232
Next Business Energy	Next Assured Business 6% Discount Powercor 5 Day TOU + Rolling Dmd (kVA)	20.2c	$1/day	$4,303
Red Energy	Qantas Red Business Plus	19.4c	$1/day	$4,360
AGL	Business Smart Saver - 3rd Party New To AGL	19.4c	$1/day	$4,360

Origin Energy
Origin Business Usage Advantage - CIMET(Single Rate with Demand and Controlled Load)
$4,196/yr
Usage
18.3c
Supply
$1/day
Origin Energy
Origin Business Go Variable - CIMET (Single Rate with Demand and Controlled Load)
$4,232/yr
Usage
18.8c
Supply
$1/day
Next Business Energy
Next Assured Business 6% Discount Powercor 5 Day TOU + Rolling Dmd (kVA)
$4,303/yr
Usage
20.2c
Supply
$1/day
Red Energy
Qantas Red Business Plus
$4,360/yr
Usage
19.4c
Supply
$1/day
AGL
Business Smart Saver - 3rd Party New To AGL
$4,360/yr
Usage
19.4c
Supply
$1/day

Estimated annual cost at 20,000 kWh. Methodology · State price index · All Victoria plans

Compare with my bill

Who is Powercor?

Powercor covers western Victoria, including Melbourne's western growth corridor and regional centres such as Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. The mix of urban and agricultural connections means the applicable tariff can vary considerably between sites.

What you control, and what you don't

The network is fixed, and so are the regulated charges for using it. What a business can change is the retail side: the usage rate, the daily supply charge, the contract term and the conditions attached to a discount. Those are the parts that differ between offers.

That is why comparing on a single advertised rate can mislead. A plan with a low usage rate and a high supply charge can cost more for a site with modest consumption, and a time-of-use plan can look cheaper on average while costing more for a business that runs in the evening peak.

How to compare business plans in this network

Start with a recent bill for the site. It carries the usage, the billing period and the network tariff details needed to cost plans against how the site actually runs, rather than against an assumed profile. Upload a bill and compare business electricity plans — it is free and takes about a minute.

For the market context, the business electricity price index shows the median advertised rate in VIC and how it moved. The methodology sets out the formula, the exclusions and the limitations.

Frequently asked questions

Do I choose my electricity network?

No. The distribution network is set by where the site is, not by your choice of retailer. You choose a retailer; that retailer passes the regulated network charges through on your bill.

Does the network affect which plan is cheapest?

Network charges are regulated and are the same for every retailer serving a site in this network, so they largely cancel out when plans are compared. The retail usage rate, the supply charge and how they fit your site's load decide the ranking. Not every plan is offered in every network.

Why do advertised rates here differ from other parts of the state?

Different networks have different regulated charges and different levels of retailer competition. A state-level average is a useful market indicator, but the plans available at the site's actual address are what determine its bill.

Can I switch networks?

No. The network is fixed by the site's location. If the site moves or its connection changes, the network may change, and the plans available at the new address should be compared again.

Understand the bill behind the plan

These guides explain the mechanics that decide what a plan actually costs, so the comparison is easier to judge: all business electricity guides.