Mt Gravatt brewery or distillery owners: stop renewing on default rates
Running breweries and distilleries in Mt Gravatt means watching every cent on overheads. Energy's usually the line item that quietly grows the most. We freeze it, and often shrink it.
We're paid by the energy retailer when you switch, never by you.
Brisbane breweries and distilleries on out-of-term contracts are the easiest saves we make. Mt Gravatt is no different.
Breweries and distilleries in Mt Gravatt, the energy snapshot
Logan Road businesses, they all run on the same Energex distribution network, but the retailers quoting them charge wildly different rates for the same kilowatt-hour.
Typical brewery or distillery usage profile
- Annual electricity: 60,000 kWh–500,000 kWh a year
- Peak demand: 30–200 kVA at the busiest 15-minute window
- Tariff that usually wins: Time-of-use with brew days planned around the demand window; C&I tender once the site clears 100 MWh
- Gas (where applicable): 300–2,000 GJ/yr for the brewhouse kettle, and stills where spirits are made
Where Mt Gravatt breweries and distilleries usually overpay
- glycol chillers and the cold room holding fermentation temperature 24/7, so the site never drops to a quiet baseline
- one brew day with the kettle, mill and canning line running together setting the demand charge for the whole month
- a gas-fired kettle on one contract and the chillers on another, never quoted together, never expiring together
- taproom air conditioning and refrigeration stacking a hospitality peak on top of the production load every weekend
Worked saving, Mt Gravatt brewery or distillery
Assumptions: SEQ craft brewery, ~180 MWh/yr plus brewhouse gas, moved from a rolled-over SME rate to a tendered contract with brew days scheduled outside the peak demand window. Your actual saving depends on your current contract and usage, we quote the real number.
What decides which retailer wins a Mt Gravatt brewery or distillery
No retailer gets a default answer from us. On a site like this one, these are the things we price against before anybody talks about a headline rate.
- ✓ Whether they will price the tariff this site actually needs: Time-of-use with brew days planned around the demand window; C&I tender once the site clears 100 MWh.
- ✓ Flexibility across 60,000 kWh to 500,000 kWh a year. Breweries and distilleries straddle the SME and C&I line, so we price it both ways and take the winner.
- ✓ Their demand rate, not just the c/kWh. At 30–200 kVA the demand charge can move the annual bill more than the energy rate does.
- ✓ Whether bundling gas with the electricity beats splitting the two. We price it both ways before recommending either.
- ✓ The exit fee, the notice window, and the rollover rate you land on if nobody moves at the end of the term.
- ✓ Whether they will price every meter you run, or only want the big ones.
The whole point of having a panel is that no two breweries and distilleries have the same best fit. 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.
The honest objection-handler bit
Already had a quote from someone else? Send it through. We'll either beat it or tell you it's already a good deal, and stand down. We're not interested in chasing every job.
What to do next
- Find your last electricity or gas bill (one page is fine).
- Upload it on this page, or email us direct.
- We come back same day with the comparison sheet.
- If the deal works, we send a Letter of Authority, sign it and we handle the switch.
Mt Gravatt brewery or distillery owner? Upload your bill
Drop your most recent electricity or gas bill. I'll come back with a real number for your Mt Gravatt site, 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.
Brewery or distillery energy in Mt Gravatt, common questions
How exactly are Smarta Switch paid?
When we move your account to a new retailer, that retailer pays us a commission, partly upfront, partly as a trail over the life of the contract. We don't charge you a fee, mark up your rate, or add anything to your invoice. Ask us the exact dollar amount on any specific deal, we'll tell you.
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.
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.
Read this next, plain-English guides
Three guides we'd send to any Mt Gravatt brewery or distillery owner before quoting. Same prose as we'd give over the phone.
How to choose a Brisbane commercial energy broker
The 7 criteria that separate a real broker from a marketing site, plus the 8 questions to ask anyone (including us) before you sign.
How to read a commercial electricity bill
Every line decoded, NMI, tariff, network, demand, GST. Plus the three lines retailers hope you don't ask about.
Why is my business power bill so high?
The 7 real reasons commercial bills run high, rolled-over rates, demand charges, the wrong tariff, and how to tell which one's hitting you.
Other Mt Gravatt industries we cover
Nearby suburbs, same brewery or distillery energy work
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.
Ready to see what Mt Gravatt breweries and distilleries are actually paying?
Send us your bill, we'll come back with real numbers, not a sales call.