EA251 — Small Business Demand — Introductory

Ausgrid · Transitional · Low voltage · 2026–27

Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter region.

EA251 Small Business Demand — Introductory tariff guide

Who it’s for

Eligible low-voltage small-business connections on the introductory demand pathway.

What you pay

You pay fixed and energy charges. The bill also uses the highest kW demand in set periods.

If you get solar

Solar can reduce daytime grid use. If the billed peak occurs after solar output falls, solar alone will not reduce the demand charge.

If you get a battery

A battery can reduce a billed peak. It needs enough kW and enough charge for the full event.

Check before you decide

  • Confirm this code on a current retailer bill.
  • Use 12 months of interval data. Check the time of each billed peak.
  • Check the battery power in kW against the full peak event.
  • Model the tariff that will replace this temporary tariff.
2026–27 network prices

What it costs, and when

These are the network’s charges only. Your retailer adds its own prices on top.

EA251 in one day

Peak is 3pm–9pm on working weekdays, November–March and June–August only.

What the network charges

Access
202.1082 c/day
Peak energy
10.6016 c/kWh
Off-peak energy
10.6016 c/kWh
Peak demand
1.3817 c/kW/day

When the rates apply

3pm–9pm on working weekdays in November–March and June–August. All other times.

Illustrative example

Lower the EA251 monthly peak by 50 kW

  • The qualifying monthly peak is 50 kW lower.
  • The billing month has 31 days.
  • Other charges do not change.
50 kW × 1.3817 c/kW/day × 31 days ÷ 100Illustrative network-charge reduction: $21.42 for the month, excluding GST.

EA251 is an introductory tariff. Confirm the current assignment and retailer pass-through.

Would a battery help?

A guide, not a quote

Strong fit

Peak-demand shaving

A recurring peak inside the tariff demand window is a direct battery target. The case weakens if the maximum is rare, unpredictable or longer than the battery can sustain.

A battery can reduce these

  • The highest measured kW inside the tariff demand window.
  • Peak-period grid energy when the battery discharges at the same time.
  • Solar spill that can be stored without sacrificing the required peak reserve.

A battery can’t change these

  • Daily access, metering and other fixed charges.
  • A peak outside the defined demand window where the tariff does not count it.
  • A new maximum created after the battery empties or misses dispatch.

You’d need to check

  1. At least 12 months of interval data, including every billed maximum.
  2. Demand timestamps, seasonal windows and billing reset rules.
  3. Battery power and duration tested against the full peak event.
  4. Retailer rates plus the network tariff—not a blended cents-per-kWh assumption.