Childcare energy broker: long days, full rooms, big air conditioning bills
A long day care centre runs air conditioning in every room from before 7am until after 6pm, plus a kitchen, a laundry and sleep rooms that have to stay cool. That is a heavy, predictable weekday load with almost nothing on weekends, and it deserves a tariff shaped around it.
What a childcare centre 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 childcare centre, and the ones we check yours against first.
The tariff that usually wins: Time-of-use built around a 6:30am to 6:30pm weekday load, with the near-dead weekend priced in
Gas, where the site has it: 40–150 GJ/yr where the centre kitchen and hot water run on gas
Where the bill goes wrong for childcare and early learning centres.
air conditioning running in every room, sleep rooms included, for twelve hours a day
kitchen and laundry landing in the same middle-of-day peak as the AC
demand reservation set at fitout for a full centre and never reviewed since
closure weeks over Christmas still billed on a rate built for 52 trading weeks
What a switch looks like on a childcare centre.
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 long day care centre, ~75 MWh/yr on one meter, moved from a rolled-over contract to a time-of-use rate matched to opening hours
What we look for in a retailer for childcare and early learning centres.
No retailer gets a default answer from us. On a childcare centre 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 built around a 6:30am to 6:30pm weekday load, with the near-dead weekend priced in.
- Flexibility across the 35,000 kWh to 130,000 kWh a year range. Childcare and early learning centres 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 20–70 kVA the demand charge can move the annual bill more than the energy rate does.
- Whether bundling gas (40–150 GJ/yr where the centre kitchen and hot water run 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 air conditioning running in every room, sleep rooms included, for twelve hours a day.
- How their pricing copes with kitchen and laundry landing in the same middle-of-day peak as the AC.
- How their pricing copes with demand reservation set at fitout for a full centre and never reviewed since.
- How their pricing copes with closure weeks over Christmas still billed on a rate built for 52 trading weeks.
- 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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Childcare centre energy, common questions
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.
When should I renew my contract?
60–90 days before your current term ends. Don't let it roll over to default rates, those are usually 15–30% higher than what's available on the market. Send us your bill 60 days out and we'll re-quote.
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.
Childcare centre 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.