Trades and workshop energy broker: for the loads that swing
Compressors, hoists, welders, workshops have inrush demand that retailers either price punitively or fairly. We pick the fair one.
What a mechanic or trade workshop 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 mechanic or trade workshop, and the ones we check yours against first.
The tariff that usually wins: Demand-managed TOU; consider three-phase tariff review
Where the bill goes wrong for mechanics and trade workshops.
the workshop compressor kicking in against the hoist and the welder, and one of those overlaps sets your monthly demand charge
a three-phase connection classified on a network tariff picked when the shed was built, not when the gear went in
compressors, extraction and lights running the whole trading day on a rate that charges peak prices for every one of those hours
What a switch looks like on a mechanic or trade workshop.
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 suburban mechanic workshop, ~80 MWh/yr, three-phase tariff right-sized
What we look for in a retailer for mechanics and trade workshops.
No retailer gets a default answer from us. On a mechanic or trade workshop 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: Demand-managed TOU; consider three-phase tariff review.
- Flexibility across the 35,000 kWh to 150,000 kWh a year range. Mechanics and trade workshops 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 25–90 kVA the demand charge can move the annual bill more than the energy rate does.
- No gas to bundle on most of these sites, so the electricity rate and the demand charge have to win on their own merit.
- How their pricing copes with the workshop compressor kicking in against the hoist and the welder, and one of those overlaps sets your monthly demand charge.
- How their pricing copes with a three-phase connection classified on a network tariff picked when the shed was built, not when the gear went in.
- How their pricing copes with compressors, extraction and lights running the whole trading day on a rate that charges peak prices for every one of those hours.
- 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.
Looking for a mechanic or trade workshop energy broker in your suburb?
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Mechanic or trade workshop 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.
Why is my three-phase tariff so different?
Three-phase connections at small workshops often get priced like industrial sites by default, when they shouldn't be. We look at your actual demand and connection size and right-size you onto a tariff that matches.
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.
Mechanic or trade workshop 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.