Reading your Synergy electricity bill in Perth: a plain-English guide

Synergy bills Perth residential customers every two months. Most customers glance at the total and pay — but the details reveal important information about your consumption, tariff, and whether your solar is working correctly. Here's a section-by-section guide.

The service to property charge (supply charge)

The first charge you'll see is the service to property charge — sometimes labelled "supply charge" or "network access charge." This is a fixed daily charge that applies regardless of how much electricity you use.

On the standard A1 residential tariff, the supply charge is approximately $1.00–$1.20 per day (check your current bill for the exact rate — it changes on 1 July each year). Over a two-month billing period, this adds up to approximately $60–$73.

What it is: The charge for maintaining your physical connection to the electricity network — the poles, wires, and infrastructure that delivers electricity to your property.

What it's not: This charge isn't reduced by having solar. Even if you generate more solar power than you consume in a billing period, you still pay the supply charge.

The consumption charge

The consumption charge covers the electricity you draw from the Synergy grid, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

On A1: 33.2621c per kWh (current rate until 30 June 2026; check for the updated rate from 1 July)

Your bill will show:

• Total kWh consumed from the grid
• Rate per kWh
• Subtotal for consumption

If you have solar: The consumption figure on your bill is your net import — what you drew from the grid minus what your solar generated. A good solar day results in zero or very low net import; the solar offsets it in real-time.

If you're on a time-of-use tariff (Midday Saver or Smart Home): The bill will show multiple consumption charges at different rates, with kWh consumed in each time period listed separately.

DEBS credits (for solar customers)

If your solar system is registered for the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme, your bill will show a DEBS credit section:

• Super Off-Peak exports (9am–3pm): Credited at 10c/kWh (DEBS peak window for exports)
• Off-Peak exports (all other hours): Credited at 2c/kWh
• Total DEBS credit: Subtracted from your bill total

What to check:

• Are both Super Off-Peak and Off-Peak exports appearing? If only one rate shows up, it may indicate a meter data issue.
• Does the exported kWh make sense given your system size and season? A 10kW system on a sunny Perth summer fortnight should export several hundred kWh.
• Is the DEBS credit being applied on every bill since installation? If your solar has been running for 6 months and DEBS credits only appear on some bills, contact Synergy.

GST

All electricity charges are subject to 10% GST in Australia. Your bill shows line items excluding GST and the GST amount separately before the total.

GST applies to consumption charges, supply charges, and any other fees. DEBS credits are shown as a reduction before GST is applied (i.e., the GST calculation is on the net amount after credits).

Concessions and rebates on the bill

Some Perth households receive government concessions that appear on the Synergy bill:

• Energy Assistance Payment (EAP): A credit for concession card holders (Pension Concession Card, Health Care Card). Applied as a per-quarter credit.
• Medical concession: Available for households with essential medical equipment (dialysis, oxygen, etc.) requiring continuous electricity.

These credits appear as deductions before the final amount payable.

The meter reading section

The bill shows:

• Previous meter reading (start of period)
• Current meter reading (end of period)
• Difference = consumption or export in kWh

Actual vs estimated reads: If the meter reader couldn't access the meter (locked gate, absent), Synergy will estimate the reading. Estimated reads are marked "E" rather than "A" (actual). If you receive two or three estimated reads in a row, your bill may be significantly over- or under-estimated — call Synergy to arrange an actual read or submit a self-read via their website.

For solar customers: Your bill will have multiple meter register readings — at minimum:

1. Grid import (kWh drawn from Synergy)
2. Solar export (kWh you sent to the grid, measured by the gross or net export meter depending on your meter configuration)

If you only see one meter register, your solar export may not be recorded correctly — contact Synergy to confirm your meter is configured for solar.

Date and period

Your bill shows the billing period (typically 60 days) and the due date for payment. Synergy's standard payment terms are 7 days from bill date for direct debit customers and 14 days for others.

Seasonality: Because billing cycles are fixed, the amount you pay varies significantly by season — a summer cycle (November–January) with high AC use and good solar may result in a very low bill or even a credit, while a winter cycle (June–August) may be higher.

Key things to check on every Synergy bill

1. Is the read actual (A) or estimated (E)? Two estimated reads in a row warrants a call to Synergy.

2. Is the DEBS credit appearing correctly for solar customers? Both 10c and 2c rates should be present.

3. Does consumption seem reasonable? Compare to the same billing period in prior years. A spike in consumption (not explained by a hot summer or new appliance) may indicate an appliance failure or meter error.

4. Is the tariff correct? Confirm the per-kWh rate matches your enrolled tariff. Tariff changes on 1 July can be applied incorrectly — check the first bill after July each year.

5. Are any concessions applied? If you're a concession card holder and no EAP credit appears, call Synergy to register.

The most important sections to check on every Synergy bill are the DEBS credit (solar customers), the actual vs estimated read status, and the per-kWh rate to confirm tariff accuracy. BillWise's bill analysis tool can flag these issues automatically when you upload your bill.