Who it is for
Sites supplied at high or sub-transmission voltage.
Essential Energy high voltage tariffs
Essential Energy · BHND3AO, BSSD3AO · 2026–27
Sites supplied at high or sub-transmission voltage.
Regional, rural and remote NSW, including most areas outside the major coastal networks.
Compare the high voltage codes.
The exact 2026–27 network rates sit side by side. Open a code below for the worked example, the charge window and the checks before you change anything.
| Code | What it is | Status | Access | Energy | Demand / capacity | Export | Battery fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BHND3AOHV Business DemandHigh voltage | Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and time-banded kVA demand charges. | Default |
|
|
| — | Strong |
| BSSD3AOSub-transmission DemandSub-transmission | Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and time-banded kVA demand charges. | Default |
|
|
| — | Strong |
What this family covers.
These codes share a charging method. The differences are in the rates, the time bands and who each code is for.
What is on the bill
- Daily access
- Time-of-use energy
- kVA demand charge
Solar and battery
Same maths as the large-business family, at higher voltages. Get an engineering review before choosing equipment.
The codes in detail.
Open a code for its exact rates, the charge window, a worked example and the checks worth running before you change anything.
BHND3AOHV Business DemandBusinesses connected and metered at high voltage.
BHND3AO HV Business Demand
Who it’s for
Businesses connected and metered at high voltage.
What you pay
You pay fixed and energy charges. The bill also uses the highest kVA reading in set periods.
If you get solar
Solar can reduce daytime grid use. If the highest kVA reading occurs after solar output falls, solar alone will not remove it. Solar does not correct poor power factor.
If you get a battery
A battery can reduce the active-power part of the kVA peak. Check power factor before you size it.
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.
- Get kW, kVA and power-factor data from the billing meter.
- Get an engineering review before you select equipment.
2026–27 network prices
What it costs, and when
These are the network’s charges only. Your retailer adds its own prices on top.
Weekdays only — weekends are all off-peak.
What the network charges
- Access
- $27.4319/day
- Peak energy
- 5.2283 c/kWh
- Shoulder energy
- 4.2238 c/kWh
- Off-peak energy
- 3.4717 c/kWh
- Peak demand
- $11.5026/kVA/month
- Shoulder demand
- $10.4071/kVA/month
- Off-peak demand
- $3.1143/kVA/month
When the rates apply
On weekdays, off-peak is 12am–7am, shoulder is 7am–10am, peak is 10am–3pm, shoulder is 3pm–5pm, peak is 5pm–8pm, shoulder is 8pm–10pm, and off-peak is 10pm–12am. Weekends are off-peak. Interval meters use daylight saving time. Each band has its own monthly half-hour kVA maximum.
Illustrative example
Reduce the HV peak maximum by 50 kVA
- The peak-band maximum falls by 50 kVA.
- No later peak replaces it.
- The example excludes retailer and project costs.
The tariff is only one part of an HV project. Engineering and connection costs can control the result.
Would a battery help?
A guide, not a quote
Strong fit
Peak-kVA control
A controlled battery may reduce the site maximum, but the bill is based on apparent power. Power factor and reactive load can be as important as battery kW.
A battery can reduce these
- The active-power contribution to the measured kVA maximum.
- 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.
- Reactive-power demand unless the inverter and control design explicitly provide power-factor support.
- A new maximum created after the battery empties or misses dispatch.
You’d need to check
- At least 12 months of interval data, including every billed maximum.
- Demand timestamps, seasonal windows and billing reset rules.
- kW, kVA, kvar and power-factor data at the billing meter.
- Retailer rates plus the network tariff—not a blended cents-per-kWh assumption.
BSSD3AOSub-transmission DemandConnections supplied at Essential Energy sub-transmission voltage.
BSSD3AO Sub-transmission Demand
Who it’s for
Connections supplied at Essential Energy sub-transmission voltage.
What you pay
You pay fixed and energy charges. The bill also uses the highest kVA reading in set periods.
If you get solar
Solar can reduce daytime grid use. If the highest kVA reading occurs after solar output falls, solar alone will not remove it. Solar does not correct poor power factor.
If you get a battery
A battery can reduce the active-power part of the kVA peak. Check power factor before you size it.
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.
- Get kW, kVA and power-factor data from the billing meter.
- Get an engineering review before you select equipment.
2026–27 network prices
What it costs, and when
These are the network’s charges only. Your retailer adds its own prices on top.
Weekdays only — weekends are all off-peak.
What the network charges
- Access
- $27.2302/day
- Peak energy
- 6.7409 c/kWh
- Shoulder energy
- 3.9788 c/kWh
- Off-peak energy
- 3.2959 c/kWh
- Peak demand
- $4.4388/kVA/month
- Shoulder demand
- $3.1645/kVA/month
- Off-peak demand
- $1.2614/kVA/month
When the rates apply
On weekdays, off-peak is 12am–7am, shoulder is 7am–10am, peak is 10am–3pm, shoulder is 3pm–5pm, peak is 5pm–8pm, shoulder is 8pm–10pm, and off-peak is 10pm–12am. Weekends are off-peak. Interval meters use daylight saving time. The tariff uses a separate monthly half-hour kVA maximum in each band.
Illustrative example
Reduce the sub-transmission peak by 50 kVA
- The peak-band maximum falls by 50 kVA.
- Other demand bands do not change.
- The site does not use a negotiated price.
Sites above 10 MW or 40 GWh a year may have site-specific arrangements. Confirm the actual contract.
Would a battery help?
A guide, not a quote
Strong fit
Peak-kVA control
A controlled battery may reduce the site maximum, but the bill is based on apparent power. Power factor and reactive load can be as important as battery kW.
A battery can reduce these
- The active-power contribution to the measured kVA maximum.
- 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.
- Reactive-power demand unless the inverter and control design explicitly provide power-factor support.
- A new maximum created after the battery empties or misses dispatch.
You’d need to check
- At least 12 months of interval data, including every billed maximum.
- Demand timestamps, seasonal windows and billing reset rules.
- kW, kVA, kvar and power-factor data at the billing meter.
- Retailer rates plus the network tariff—not a blended cents-per-kWh assumption.
Questions about high voltage tariffs.
Short answers to the things people ask before they change a tariff.
What is BHND3AO?
BHND3AO is the Essential Energy HV Business Demand tariff. It is a default high voltage tariff for Business sites supplied and metered at high voltage. Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and time-banded kVA demand charges.
What is BSSD3AO?
BSSD3AO is the Essential Energy Sub-transmission Demand tariff. It is a default sub-transmission tariff for Connections supplied at Essential Energy sub-transmission voltage. Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and time-banded kVA demand charges.
Can solar or a battery reduce a high voltage bill?
Same maths as the large-business family, at higher voltages. Get an engineering review before choosing equipment. For BHND3AO, the battery signal is strong: A controlled battery may reduce the site maximum, but the bill is based on apparent power. Power factor and reactive load can be as important as battery kW.
How do the high voltage network charges work?
The charges are Daily access, Time-of-use energy, kVA demand charge. On weekdays, off-peak is 12am–7am, shoulder is 7am–10am, peak is 10am–3pm, shoulder is 3pm–5pm, peak is 5pm–8pm, shoulder is 8pm–10pm, and off-peak is 10pm–12am. Weekends are off-peak. Interval meters use daylight saving time. Each band has its own monthly half-hour kVA maximum.
Which Essential Energy high voltage code applies to my site?
Sites supplied at high or sub-transmission voltage. The code on your retailer bill is the starting point. Your retailer must confirm any tariff assignment or change.
Are these network prices or retail prices?
Effective 1 July 2026. Published network prices exclude GST. These are the network charges only. Your retailer adds its own prices and may package the structure differently.
Reviewed by Mike Anderson · Last verified 7 November 2026
Effective 1 July 2026. Published network prices exclude GST. These are network charges only; your retailer adds its own prices.
Free instant check
Put a number on your own roof.
We develop NSW commercial solar projects and introduce you to one installer we would use for that site. It starts here: type an address and we map the actual building live — about ten seconds, no email, no bill upload.