EA256 — Small Business Demand

Ausgrid · Available · Low voltage · 2026–27

Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter region.

EA256 Small Business Demand tariff guide

Who this is for

Eligible low-voltage small-business demand connections.

How the bill works

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

What solar changes

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

What a battery changes

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

Check before you model

  • 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.
2026–27 network schedule

The price signal behind this code

Network rates only. These are not retail electricity prices.

Published network rates

Access
242.1788 c/day
Peak energy
3.0721 c/kWh
Off-peak energy
3.0721 c/kWh
Peak demand
44.5311 c/kW/day

When it applies

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

Illustrative example

Lower the EA256 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 × 44.5311 c/kW/day × 31 days ÷ 100Illustrative network-charge reduction: $690.23 for the month, excluding GST.

The battery or load control must cover the full peak event. Confirm the retailer pass-through.

Battery opportunity lens

Tariff screen—not a savings 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.

What dispatch can affect

  • 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.

What it cannot erase

  • 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.

Evidence required

  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.