Bakery energy broker: the overnight bake should not cost peak rates
Bakeries are the one hospitality business doing most of their work while the grid is quiet. Ovens and provers fire from 1am, dough fridges run all day, and a flat rate charges the same at 2am as it does at 2pm. That gap is usually the easiest money on the bill.
What a bakery bill actually looks like.
Before anyone can tell you whether you are overpaying, they have to know how your site actually uses power. These are the numbers we start from on a bakery, and the ones we check yours against first.
The tariff that usually wins: Time-of-use is normally the win, most of the bake sits inside the overnight off-peak window
Gas, where the site has it: 150–600 GJ/yr for deck and rack ovens on gas
Where the bill goes wrong for bakeries.
ovens and provers running from 1am on a rate that charges the same at 1am as at 1pm
retarders and dough fridges running 24/7 underneath the bake
extraction and air conditioning fighting oven heat all through trade
one half hour where every oven is on together setting the whole month's demand charge
What a switch looks like on a bakery.
An illustration, not a promise. Your number depends entirely on what you are paying now, which is the whole reason we read the bill first.
Assumptions: Brisbane wholesale bakery, ~110 MWh/yr, moved from a flat rate to time-of-use so the overnight bake was priced off-peak
What we look for in a retailer for bakeries.
No retailer gets a default answer from us. On a bakery site, these are the things that decide which one actually wins on your numbers.
- A retailer that will actually price the tariff these sites need: Time-of-use is normally the win, most of the bake sits inside the overnight off-peak window.
- Flexibility across the 45,000 kWh to 200,000 kWh a year range. Bakeries straddle the SME and C&I line, so we price it both ways and take whichever wins.
- A soft demand rate, not just a sharp c/kWh. At 30–120 kVA the demand charge can move the annual bill more than the energy rate does.
- Whether bundling gas (150–600 GJ/yr for deck and rack ovens on gas) with the electricity actually beats splitting the two across separate retailers. We price it both ways before recommending either.
- How their pricing copes with ovens and provers running from 1am on a rate that charges the same at 1am as at 1pm.
- How their pricing copes with retarders and dough fridges running 24/7 underneath the bake.
- How their pricing copes with extraction and air conditioning fighting oven heat all through trade.
- How their pricing copes with one half hour where every oven is on together setting the whole month's demand charge.
- Contract length, and what happens at the end of it: the exit fee, the notice window and the evergreen rollover rate you land on if nobody moves.
- If you run more than one site, whether they'll price the whole portfolio or only want the big meters.
We're paid by the energy retailer when you switch, never by you, and the commission is printed in c/kWh next to every offer. How we choose a retailer.
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Bakery energy, common questions
Can I bundle gas and electricity on one bill?
Often, yes. Several retailers will price gas and electricity together on one account. Sometimes the bundled discount is real, sometimes splitting them across two retailers wins on price. We test both ways before recommending either.
What's a demand charge and why is mine so high?
Demand charges are the highest 15- or 30-minute usage peak in the month, multiplied by a $/kVA rate. If you've got AC cycling on at the same time as kitchen equipment, that peak compounds. The fix is usually a tariff that prices demand more fairly, or moving you off demand-tariffs altogether if your usage is too small to need them.
Should I be on time-of-use or flat-rate?
Depends on your usage pattern. Cafes open 6am–2pm usually win on flat-rate. Gyms with split 5–9am and 4–8pm windows usually win on TOU. We test both with your real meter data, not a generic assumption.
Will my power get cut off when I switch?
No. Switching retailers doesn't touch the wires or your meter. Same poles, same wires, same network operator (Energex for nearly all SEQ). You just get a different name on your invoice, and a better number.
How long does a switch take?
Typical SEQ small-business switch: 10–20 business days from signing the Letter of Authority. We send the LoA, you sign, we lodge with the new retailer, they handle the meter-data hand-off with the network. Your old contract ends, the new one starts.
What's a demand charge and why is mine so high?
Demand charges are the highest 15- or 30-minute usage peak in the month, multiplied by a $/kVA rate. If you've got AC cycling on at the same time as kitchen equipment, that peak compounds. The fix is usually a tariff that prices demand more fairly, or moving you off demand-tariffs altogether if your usage is too small to need them.
Am I on the right small-business tariff?
Probably not. Retailers don't migrate you automatically when better tariffs become available. We look at your usage profile, your peak demand, and your trading hours, then map you to the tariff your bill actually wants.
We're paid by the energy retailer when you switch, never by you.
When we move your account to a new retailer, that retailer pays us a commission, partly upfront, partly as a trail while you're with them. Your rate is your rate. There's no markup, no broker fee on your invoice, no monthly subscription.
We disclose the commission existence on every quote. If you want to know the exact dollar amount on a deal, ask. We'll tell you.
This is why we win on transparency: we'd rather show you the maths than dress up the savings.
Bakery owner? Send the bill, we'll quote it
Drop your most recent electricity or gas bill. I'll come back with what your retailer panel can do, in plain English, usually same day.
- Send us one recent bill, or let us get it from your retailer.
- Sign a one page authority so we can ask retailers for prices.
- See every offer that comes back, with our commission on each one.
Takes about ninety seconds. Haven't got the bill handy? We will get it from your current retailer for you.
Ready to see what your panel can do?
Send us your bill, we'll come back with real numbers, not a sales call.