Renting in Perth? How to cut gas and power bills

Most electrification advice assumes you own the place and can replace the hot water system or pull out the gas cooktop. Renters can't. You can still cut a Perth energy bill without touching the fixtures, though. Check your plans and concessions, cook on a portable induction hob, move flexible use into cheaper hours, and raise the bigger swaps with your landlord when an appliance fails.

Can renters switch electricity or gas retailer in Perth?

Only for gas. Synergy is the sole electricity retailer for homes on Perth's main grid, so renters and owners alike buy power from Synergy. Gas retail is open to competition. If the gas account is in your name, you can compare retailers and move to a plan that suits your usage.

The WA gas retailers in our comparison are Alinta Energy, Kleenheat, AGL and Origin Energy. If you've stayed on whatever plan came with the property, it's worth a look. The WA gas plan comparison shows current plans, and our guide to switching gas retailers covers how it works.

For electricity, the choice is your Synergy plan rather than the retailer. Our guide to switching electricity providers in Perth explains why.

Can you change your Synergy plan as a renter?

If the account is in your name, usually yes. Midday Saver suits a household that can move use into the middle of the day. It charges 8.85c/kWh from 9am to 3pm and 55.33c/kWh from 3pm to 9pm. It needs an advanced meter, which Synergy can confirm for your address.

The plan only pays off if your habits fit it. A household that's home during the day, or can run appliances on timers, gains the most. One that does everything after work may pay more. Our Midday Saver vs A1 comparison walks through which suits which home.

What can you cook on instead of the gas cooktop?

A portable induction hob. It sits on the bench, plugs into an ordinary power point, and needs no change to the kitchen. It heats quickly, keeps a flame out of the kitchen, and comes with you when you move. You'll need pans a fridge magnet sticks to.

Cleaner kitchen air is part of the appeal. A 2018 study in the Medical Journal of Australia (Knibbs et al.) estimated that 12.3% of childhood asthma in Australia is attributable to gas stoves used for cooking. Our gas vs electric health guide covers what a gas cooktop puts into the air.

If cooking was the only thing on gas, a portable hob also gives you something to raise with your landlord: whether the gas connection is still needed at all.

How can you shift use into cheaper hours?

Run the flexible loads in daylight, if you're on Midday Saver. The dishwasher, washing machine and dryer can usually go on a delay timer. So can charging for an e-bike, tools and laptops. Keep them out of the 3pm to 9pm peak, and the same use costs less without any change to the house.

If the hot water is electric and its timer is within reach, set it to heat during the cheaper hours too. Leave anything wired into the switchboard to an electrician, and to your landlord's say-so.

What can you ask your landlord for?

The swaps that help the owner too, timed for when an appliance fails. A dead gas hot water system has to be replaced either way, and a heat pump costs the tenant less to run. Federal certificates take part of the price off at the point of sale, which helps the owner's side of the sum.

A reverse-cycle split system is the other common ask, in a home heated only by gas. It heats and cools, which improves the property for every tenant after you. Our heat pump hot water guide and heating and cooling page give the owner something concrete to read.

Frame it around the appliance being replaced anyway. A request to tear out something that still works is easy to refuse. A request to choose a different replacement is not.

Which concessions can Perth renters get?

The same ones owners get, because they follow your card and your account, not the property. Holders of a Health Care Card, a Pensioner Concession Card, or a Veterans' Affairs Gold or Pensioner Concession Card get the Energy Assistance Payment, $377.14 a year off the Synergy bill.

The Dependent Child Rebate adds $396.56 a year for the first dependent child on the card.

Source: WA Government, rates from 1 July 2026 (checked 22 October 2026)

If your power account isn't in your own name, ask about the Energy Concession Extension Scheme, which covers some households that don't hold a Synergy account. Other subsidies cover people who use life support equipment or have a condition that affects body temperature. Kleenheat notes that the WA Government doesn't fund a natural gas rebate. Our WA energy concessions page checks which payments you qualify for.

Can renters get solar or a battery?

Not without the owner's agreement, since panels and batteries are fixed to the property. Some landlords agree, especially when the tenant will stay a while. Our guide to solar for renters in Perth covers the options and how to raise it.

Meanwhile, the steps above work in any rental. To see what your current bill says about where the money goes, upload it to the BillWise bill analyser for a breakdown of your usage and charges.

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch electricity retailer if I rent in Perth?

No. Synergy is the only electricity retailer for homes on Perth's main grid, whether you own or rent. What you can sometimes change is your Synergy plan. Gas is different: if the gas account is in your name, you can compare and switch gas retailers.

What's the cheapest first step for a renter?

Check your plans and concessions, which cost nothing. If you hold an eligible card, the Energy Assistance Payment comes off your Synergy bill. After that, a portable induction hob is a small purchase that moves cooking off the gas cooktop and goes with you when you move.

Sources

• Synergy, "Midday Saver", https://www.synergy.net.au/Your-home/Energy-plans/Midday-Saver.
• WA Government, "Apply for an energy concession", https://www.wa.gov.au/service/community-services/grants-and-subsidies/apply-energy-concession.
• Kleenheat, "Are there any concessions available?", https://www.kleenheat.com.au/help/billing-payments/are-there-any-concessions-available.
• Renew, "Induction cooktop guide", https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/buyers-guides/induction-cooktop-guide/.
• BillWise WA gas plan table, retailer basic plan information documents (Alinta Energy, Kleenheat, AGL, Origin Energy), checked 18 September 2026, Origin rechecked 8 October 2026. See WA gas plans.