Who it is for
Most Essential Energy small businesses.
Essential Energy small business tariffs
Essential Energy · BLNBSS1, BLND1AB · 2026–27
Most Essential Energy small businesses.
Regional, rural and remote NSW, including most areas outside the major coastal networks.
Compare the small 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLNBSS1LV Small Business TOU — Sun SoakerLow voltage | Daily access plus peak and sun-saver energy rates; paired with BLNBEX1 where an export channel exists. | Default |
|
| — | — | Conditional |
| BLND1ABLV Small Business TOU Demand — Opt inLow voltage | Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and a peak kVA demand charge. | 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
- Energy with a cheap Sun Saver window (10am–3pm daily)
- kVA demand charge (BLND1AB only)
Solar and battery
The cheap window is when the sun is strongest — solar fits it beautifully. On BLND1AB, flattening peaks cuts the demand charge.
Worth asking about
BLNBSS1 is the default. BLND1AB is opt-in: lower energy rates plus a demand charge — only worth it with a predictable peak. You have to ask.
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.
BLNBSS1LV Small Business TOU — Sun SoakerSmall businesses connected at low voltage using no more than 160 MWh a year with a smart meter.
BLNBSS1 LV Small Business TOU — Sun Soaker
Who it’s for
Small businesses connected at low voltage using no more than 160 MWh a year with a smart meter.
What you pay
You pay different energy rates at different times. Check the current time periods and seasonal rules.
If you get solar
Solar reduces grid use while it is generating. Its value depends on the energy rate at that time.
If you get a battery
A battery can move energy to a more expensive period. Use actual retailer prices and allow for battery losses.
Check before you decide
- Confirm this code on a current retailer bill.
- Use the retailer prices, not only the network price list.
- Measure the energy that can move between time periods.
2026–27 network prices
What it costs, and when
These are the network’s charges only. Your retailer adds its own prices on top.
Sun Saver runs 10am–3pm every day. The peak rate applies at other times.
What the network charges
- Access
- $2.3784/day
- Peak
- 18.9741 c/kWh · Every day outside 10am–3pm
- Sun Saver
- 8.5988 c/kWh · Every day, 10am–3pm
When the rates apply
Sun Saver runs from 10am to 3pm every day. The peak rate applies at other times. Interval meters use daylight saving time.
Illustrative example
Move 1,000 kWh into the Sun Saver period
- All 1,000 kWh moves from the peak rate to 10am–3pm.
- The example uses network rates only.
- It ignores battery losses and retailer pricing.
This is not a retail-bill saving quote. A battery delivers less energy than it charges.
Would a battery help?
A guide, not a quote
Conditional fit
Time-of-use load shifting
The tariff provides a time-window signal rather than a demand target. Battery value depends on a repeatable price spread, sufficient cycling volume and a control system that preserves energy for the expensive window.
A battery can reduce these
- Peak-period grid imports shifted into a cheaper network or retailer window.
- Solar generation carried into later business load.
- Retailer energy exposure where its time periods align with battery dispatch.
A battery can’t change these
- Daily access, metering and other fixed charges.
- A network demand charge where none is included in this tariff.
- Energy already consumed directly from solar without incurring battery losses.
You’d need to check
- At least 12 months of interval usage and export data grouped by tariff window.
- Both retailer and network time periods and rates.
- Solar production, operating hours and seasonal load changes.
- Round-trip efficiency, usable capacity, cycling and degradation assumptions.
BLND1ABLV Small Business TOU Demand — Opt inSmall businesses connected at low voltage using no more than 160 MWh a year with a smart meter.
BLND1AB LV Small Business TOU Demand — Opt in
Who it’s for
Small businesses connected at low voltage using no more than 160 MWh a year with a smart meter.
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
- $2.3784/day
- Peak energy
- 14.6324 c/kWh
- Shoulder energy
- 10.3497 c/kWh
- Off-peak energy
- 6.1014 c/kWh
- Peak demand
- $9.7035/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.
Illustrative example
Reduce the billed peak by 50 kVA
- The battery reduces the monthly peak maximum from 300 kVA to 250 kVA.
- No later interval sets a new maximum.
- The example uses the published network demand rate only.
A 100 kW / 200 kWh battery may not reduce a two-hour 300 kW event by 100 kW after losses and site load changes. Check half-hour 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 small business tariffs.
Short answers to the things people ask before they change a tariff.
What is BLNBSS1?
BLNBSS1 is the Essential Energy LV Small Business TOU — Sun Soaker tariff. It is a default low voltage tariff for Small-business sites at low voltage using no more than 160 MWh a year with a smart meter. Daily access plus peak and sun-saver energy rates; paired with BLNBEX1 where an export channel exists.
What is BLND1AB?
BLND1AB is the Essential Energy LV Small Business TOU Demand — Opt in tariff. It is a optional low voltage tariff for Small-business sites at low voltage using no more than 160 MWh a year with a smart meter. Daily access, peak/shoulder/off-peak energy and a peak kVA demand charge.
Can solar or a battery reduce a small business bill?
The cheap window is when the sun is strongest — solar fits it beautifully. On BLND1AB, flattening peaks cuts the demand charge. For BLNBSS1, the battery signal is conditional: The tariff provides a time-window signal rather than a demand target. Battery value depends on a repeatable price spread, sufficient cycling volume and a control system that preserves energy for the expensive window.
How do the small business network charges work?
The charges are Daily access, Energy with a cheap Sun Saver window (10am–3pm daily), kVA demand charge (BLND1AB only). Sun Saver runs from 10am to 3pm every day. The peak rate applies at other times. Interval meters use daylight saving time. BLNBSS1 is the default. BLND1AB is opt-in: lower energy rates plus a demand charge — only worth it with a predictable peak. You have to ask.
Which Essential Energy small business code applies to my site?
Most Essential Energy small businesses. 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.
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