About
What is The Current?
The Current tells you when electricity is free on your plan, and how much of your state's electricity is renewable, today and tomorrow.
Why it exists
Some electricity plans now give you free electricity for a few hours each day, usually around the middle of the day. Victoria's Midday Power Saver, for example, is free from 11am to 2pm. But every plan's hours are different, and it's easy to lose track. The Current puts them in one place.
How to use it
- 1Open your state. Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland (the free offer is South East Queensland only) or South Australia.
- 2Find your plan in the list of free-power plans. It shows your free hours and whether it's free right now. Not sure which plan you're on? It's on your bill.
- 3Plan big jobs for the free hours: the washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, pool pump or charging an electric car.
- 4If you like, check how renewable the grid is. The chart shows the best times today, and "Tomorrow" helps you plan ahead.
Every part of the page has a ? button that explains what it shows.
Who it's for
- People on a plan with free hours who want to make the most of them.
- People wondering whether a free-hours plan is worth looking into.
- Anyone curious about where their state's electricity comes from, hour by hour.
What it doesn't do
- It doesn't sell electricity or switch your plan.
- It doesn't tell you what you'd save. Free hours don't always mean a smaller bill, because other hours often cost more. Check your bill or ask your retailer.
- It doesn't know your plan. You pick it from the list.
Where the information comes from
Electricity data comes from AEMO, which runs the grid, and is updated every 5 minutes. Plan details come from each plan's own documents, and each plan shows the date we last checked it. The renewable figures are our estimates from AEMO's data.
The Current is independent. It isn't run by AEMO, the government or any retailer.