Who it is for
Bigger low-voltage sites.
Essential Energy large business tariffs
Essential Energy · BLND3AO, BLND3TO · 2026–27
Bigger low-voltage sites.
Regional, rural and remote NSW, including most areas outside the major coastal networks.
Compare the large business 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLND3AOLV Large Business DemandLow voltage | Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and time-banded kVA demand charges. | Default |
|
|
| — | Strong |
| BLND3TOLV Demand — AlternativeLow voltage | Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and a monthly kVA demand based on the highest peak-or-shoulder interval. | Optional |
|
|
| — | 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
Solar trims daytime energy. A battery can shave the kVA peak, but fix power factor first — kVA counts more than kW here.
Worth asking about
BLND3AO is the default and BLND3TO the opt-in alternative. Same charges, measured differently — worth comparing on real data.
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.
BLND3AOLV Large Business DemandBusinesses connected at low voltage using more than 160 MWh a year.
BLND3AO LV Large Business Demand
Who it’s for
Businesses connected at low voltage using more than 160 MWh a year.
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.
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
- $22.3346/day
- Peak energy
- 7.0201 c/kWh
- Shoulder energy
- 5.6141 c/kWh
- Off-peak energy
- 3.645 c/kWh
- Peak demand
- $12.039/kVA/month
- Shoulder demand
- $10.8924/kVA/month
- Off-peak demand
- $2.8541/kVA/month
When the rates apply
The meter records a separate monthly half-hour kVA maximum in the peak, shoulder and off-peak bands.
Illustrative example
Reduce the BLND3AO peak maximum by 50 kVA
- The peak-band maximum falls by 50 kVA.
- Shoulder and off-peak maxima do not change.
- The example uses one month of network demand charges.
The site still pays shoulder and off-peak demand. This is not a whole-bill saving.
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.
BLND3TOLV Demand — AlternativeEligible low-voltage businesses using more than 160 MWh a year.
BLND3TO LV Demand — Alternative
Who it’s for
Eligible low-voltage businesses using more than 160 MWh a year.
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.
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
- $22.3346/day
- Peak energy
- 19.2768 c/kWh
- Shoulder energy
- 14.6931 c/kWh
- Off-peak energy
- 6.7066 c/kWh
- Peak-or-shoulder demand
- $15.4853/kVA/month
When the rates apply
One monthly demand charge uses the highest half-hour kVA reading in either the peak or shoulder period.
Illustrative example
Reduce the BLND3TO peak-or-shoulder maximum by 50 kVA
- The highest peak-or-shoulder reading falls by 50 kVA.
- No later peak or shoulder interval replaces it.
- The example uses one month of network demand charges.
Do not compare this demand result alone with BLND3AO. The energy rates differ. Use 12 months of interval kWh and kVA data.
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 large business tariffs.
Short answers to the things people ask before they change a tariff.
What is BLND3AO?
BLND3AO is the Essential Energy LV Large Business Demand tariff. It is a default low voltage tariff for Low-voltage business sites using more than 160 MWh a year. Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and time-banded kVA demand charges.
What is BLND3TO?
BLND3TO is the Essential Energy LV Demand — Alternative tariff. It is a optional low voltage tariff for Eligible low-voltage businesses using more than 160 MWh a year. Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and a monthly kVA demand based on the highest peak-or-shoulder interval.
Can solar or a battery reduce a large business bill?
Solar trims daytime energy. A battery can shave the kVA peak, but fix power factor first — kVA counts more than kW here. For BLND3AO, 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 large business network charges work?
The charges are Daily access, Time-of-use energy, kVA demand charge. The meter records a separate monthly half-hour kVA maximum in the peak, shoulder and off-peak bands. BLND3AO is the default and BLND3TO the opt-in alternative. Same charges, measured differently — worth comparing on real data.
Which Essential Energy large business code applies to my site?
Bigger low-voltage sites. 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.