Restaurant energy broker: for kitchens that run hot, late, every night
Restaurants live on the demand-charge tightrope: peak service windows, cooking gas, refrigeration around the clock. We price all three properly, together.
What a restaurant 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 restaurant, and the ones we check yours against first.
The tariff that usually wins: TOU with peak-window management; bundled gas where available
Gas, where the site has it: 200–800 GJ/yr typical for à la carte kitchens
Where the bill goes wrong for restaurants.
every burner, fryer and extraction fan flat out in the same two hours of service, and that half hour sets the demand charge
cold rooms and prep fridges drawing power every hour the doors are shut, right through the Mondays you are not even open
cooking gas on one retailer and electricity on another, two contracts, two expiry dates, and no bundled discount on either
What a switch looks like on a restaurant.
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 restaurant, ~150 MWh + 350 GJ gas, switched both fuels onto a single retailer with bundled discount
What we look for in a retailer for restaurants.
No retailer gets a default answer from us. On a restaurant 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: TOU with peak-window management; bundled gas where available.
- Flexibility across the 60,000 kWh to 220,000 kWh a year range. Restaurants 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.
- Whether bundling gas (200–800 GJ/yr typical for à la carte kitchens) with the electricity actually beats splitting the two across separate retailers. We price it both ways before recommending either.
- How their pricing copes with every burner, fryer and extraction fan flat out in the same two hours of service, and that half hour sets the demand charge.
- How their pricing copes with cold rooms and prep fridges drawing power every hour the doors are shut, right through the Mondays you are not even open.
- How their pricing copes with cooking gas on one retailer and electricity on another, two contracts, two expiry dates, and no bundled discount on either.
- 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 restaurant energy broker in your suburb?
Not your suburb? See all the SEQ locations we cover.
Restaurant 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.
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.
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.
Restaurant 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.