How Synergy billing works in Perth: billing cycles, direct debit, smoothed payments, and DEBS

Perth's electricity is supplied by Synergy (the WA State Government-owned retail utility) for most metropolitan and regional SWIS-connected households. Understanding exactly how Synergy bills works helps you read your account correctly, identify billing errors early, and choose the payment method that suits your cash flow.

Synergy billing cycle

Standard billing period: approximately 60 days (two months). Synergy doesn't bill monthly — each bill covers roughly 60 days of consumption and supply charge.

Meter reading:

• Synergy uses a combination of actual reads (from smart meters or manual reads) and estimated reads.
• Your bill should show whether each period is an "actual read" or an "estimated read."
• Estimated reads are reconciled against actual reads when the next actual read occurs (any difference adjusts on the following bill).

Smart meters: If you have a smart meter (required for solar export / DEBS, and progressively rolled out), Synergy reads interval data remotely. Smart meter customers rarely receive estimated bills.

If you're overdue for an actual read: Contact Synergy to request a meter read. You can also self-submit a read via Synergy's My Account portal for non-smart meters.

What's on your Synergy bill

Section 1: Account summary

• Account number
• Bill period (dates)
• Previous balance
• Payments received
• New charges
• Amount due and due date

Section 2: Electricity charges

• Supply charge: $1.1062/day × number of days in billing period (approximately $66/bill for a 60-day period)
• Consumption charges: kWh used × applicable tariff rate
  • A1: 33.2621c/kWh (as at 1 July 2025, subject to annual review)
  • Midday Saver: tiered (super off-peak 8.8511c / peak 55.3290c / off-peak 24.3384c)

Section 3: DEBS export credits (solar households)

• Peak export: kWh exported during 3pm–9pm × 10.0000c/kWh
• Off-peak export: kWh exported during 9pm–3pm × 2.0000c/kWh
• Total DEBS credit (a negative charge, reducing your bill)

Section 4: Concessions and credits

• WA Electricity Concession (if applicable)
• Household Electricity Credit (universal residential credit — varies by budget cycle)
• Any other concession or credit

Section 5: GST Note: electricity is GST-applicable; rates shown may be inclusive or exclusive of GST depending on Synergy's bill format.

Payment options

1. Pay when bills arrive (standard cycle): Pay the full amount by the due date (typically 21 days after the bill issue date) to avoid late payment fees.

2. Direct debit on due date: Synergy's standard direct debit: the bill amount is automatically deducted from your nominated bank account or credit card on the due date. No action required each cycle.

3. Smoothpay (smoothed monthly payments): Synergy's Smoothpay program estimates your annual electricity cost and splits it into equal monthly direct debits. At the end of the year, Synergy reconciles actual consumption vs smoothed payments — you may receive a credit or a catch-up payment.

Best for: Households who prefer predictable, fixed monthly cash flow and don't mind the annual reconciliation.

Note for solar households: Smoothpay estimates are based on historical consumption. If you've recently installed solar, your historical estimate may not account for reduced import or DEBS credits. Monitor your Smoothpay estimate vs actual bills and request an adjustment if significantly out.

4. Prepay: Synergy offers a prepay option for some customers. You load credit and usage draws from the prepaid balance. Not available for all account types.

5. BPAY / online payment: Pay via BPAY from internet banking, or via Synergy's My Account portal with a credit card or bank transfer.

6. In-person: At Australia Post outlets using the BPAY code on your bill.

Late payment

Synergy charges a late payment fee (as at 2025, a flat fee per unpaid bill, not a percentage interest charge). Contact Synergy's hardship line (13 13 53) before a bill is overdue if you're having difficulty paying — Synergy is required to offer payment plans before proceeding to disconnection.

Disconnection protection: Under WA energy regulations, Synergy must:

• Provide advance notice before disconnecting a residential customer
• Offer a payment plan before disconnecting
• Give additional protections to life support registered customers

DEBS credits on your bill

DEBS credits appear as a credit (negative charge) on your bill, reducing the amount payable.

DEBS timing: Export credits accumulate throughout the billing period. They appear on your bill as:

• Peak export credits (3pm–9pm × 10c)
• Off-peak export credits (9pm–3pm × 2c)

Net billing vs gross billing: Some households have older meters that record net import/export (the meter runs backwards during export). With a net meter, Synergy credits total net export. Modern smart meters with interval data support gross billing — where all generation goes to consumption first and only genuine surplus is exported. Net metering is increasingly rare; most new solar households are on gross billing with interval meter data.

If DEBS credits aren't appearing: Check that:

• Smart meter has been installed and registered by Western Power
• Synergy has activated DEBS on your account
• Your export isolator is switched to "on"

Contact Synergy (13 13 53) if credits don't appear within one billing cycle of your smart meter installation.

How to access your billing history

Synergy My Account (online portal):

• View and download PDF bills
• Check consumption history (if smart meter)
• Manage direct debit and Smoothpay
• Update contact and payment details

Synergy app: Available for iOS and Android. Shows current balance, recent bills, and usage data for smart meter customers.

Auto-download for BillWise: You can download your Synergy bill PDF from My Account and upload to BillWise for analysis — the tool parses your consumption, tariff, supply charge, and DEBS credits automatically.

Understanding what appears on your Synergy bill makes it easier to verify that your solar export credits are correct and that your tariff is optimised for your usage pattern. Upload your bill to BillWise for a line-by-line verification.