FAQs

What should I do if I'm moving house?

As soon as possible, please notify us of the date you intend to move. Simply fill out the Moving home form.

What should I do if I'm moving house and ending my energy account?

You will have to contact us at least five business days before you intend to vacate your property. It is also important that you provide us with a forwarding address for your final invoice. Contact us on 1300 11 5866.

How can I manage my account?

Managing your account is simple, log into My Account online and you will be able to see all the information about your account including meter reads, contact details and your latest invoices. Don't have an account set up? Register Today.

Questions About New Invoice Design

Where can I find my concessions on my new invoice?

On page two of your invoice, any applicable energy concessions will appear under either Your Electricity Usage or Your Gas Usage. To learn more about your new invoice watch our tutorials.

I pay by direct debit. Has anything changed on my new invoice?

You can find your full direct debit details on the payment slip, which is located on page two of your invoice. To learn more about your new invoice watch our tutorials.

General Invoice Questions

My energy bill is higher than I expected. Why?

There are a few reasons why your energy invoice may be higher than expected:

• Remember that using energy-hungry appliances like heaters or air conditioners quickly adds to the cost of your invoice.
• If you have guests staying at your home, this can increase energy usage and raise the cost of your bill.
• If you receive energy concessions, note that some concessions are seasonal and apply only during certain months.

Check out some energy saving tips.

How do I pay my invoice?

You can find detailed payment instructions at the end of your invoice. Did you know you can also pay your invoice online? Make a payment online

Is there a charge to join Lumo Energy?

Lumo Energy charges no joining fee, however a standard charge may apply if you move into or leave a property. This is because moving into a property incurs a charge from your local energy distributor to connect your electricity and/or gas supply.

Make the Switch to Lumo Energy today

What's estimated energy use?

If there's no recent meter reading available for your property, or you selected monthly estimated invoices when you joined Lumo, your invoice can show estimated energy use. We estimate to match your invoice charges to your energy use as closely as possible.

How do estimations work?

We look at a range of account information when we estimate energy use, such as:

• Previous meter readings
• The period of time covered by your invoice
• Time of year (e.g. increased winter energy use)

We process this information to estimate your daily energy use and total costs.

How do estimations work if I'm a new client?

If you just joined Lumo Energy, recent meter readings won't be available for your account. Until two or more readings are available we use information such as:

• The average monthly spend you entered on your Lumo Energy application
• The period of time covered by your invoice

This allows us to estimate your monthly energy use until new meter reading data is available for your account.

What happens if estimations don't match my energy use?

We simply adjust your invoice once your next meter reading is available. For example, we will credit your account if estimations were higher than expected.

How is my daily energy use calculated?

If you have a PhD in mathematics or just really like technical details, here's how we use estimations to calculate your daily energy use:

Total energy use between last two meter reads / total days between those two reads = daily energy use

Your daily energy use is then multiplied by the period of time (in days) covered by your invoice,  applied to your energy prices and adjusted depending on the time of year. For example, energy use during winter and summer can be higher than other months. Estimations also adjust over time to reflect your usage, as shown by meter readings.

Still awake? Good! If you're a new client, or we haven't received at least two meter readings for your property, we use another process. We start with information from your distributor that shows daily electricity/gas usage before you joined Lumo Energy. We call this 'historic' use.

Historic daily use x energy rates = daily costs

Finally, if we don't have at least two meter readings for your property OR historic use from your distributor, we calculate your daily energy use as follows:

Average monthly spend - Service to Property charges ? average month of 30.5 days = daily energy costs

We use your energy prices and the daily costs to determine your estimated reads.

What's an index reading?

If you have a smart meter at your property recording usage, there will be additional line items on the back of your invoice displaying your index reading.

For smart meters, the main purpose of the index read is that it records the total accumulated energy usage for a given meter register since its installation. We understand that having your usage displayed instead of your meter readings is a big change and have therefore added an equivalent reading (covering all usage at your property on your smart meter from its installation date) for the start and end dates on your bill.

The index reading is a useful tool, although it is designed as a guide only and is not used to calculate your electricity bills.

When is my next meter reading?

You can find this information on the back page of your Lumo Energy invoice. Generally, your electricity meter is read every three months, while your gas meter is read every two months. 

Can I send Lumo Energy my meter readings?

Yes, you can do this online. Simply login to My Account and follow the on-screen instructions. By sending us your meter readings you will allow us to estimate your energy usage as accurately as possible between readings taken by your Distributor. 

Don't have an account set up? Register Today

How do I read my electricity meter?

If you have a digital meter, simply record the numbers on your meter from left to right, ignoring the final number. In the example below the reading is 2518.



If you have a dial meter, ignore the dials labeled 1/10 and 1/100, these are check dials.

Record the number for each dial from left to right. If a pointer falls anywhere between two numbers, always record the lower number.



In the example above the reading is 8028.

I submitted my meter reading, but part of my bill was estimated. Why?

When we calculate your bill, any energy used after the reading is estimated using historical usage data.  

How do I read my gas meter?

If you have a metric meter, simply record the numbers on your meter from left to right. In the example below the reading is simply 2932.  



If you have a dial (imperial) meter, record the number for each dial, reading from left to right. If a pointer falls anywhere between two numbers, always record the lower number. In the example below the reading is 3032.   



Do I have to provide access to my meter?

Yes, this is required. All energy customers are required to provide safe and unhindered access to their meter/s. This ensures you are billed for the correct amount of energy you used.  
I'm a customer and I need a new electricity meter installed. What should I do?

Will I be contacted if the distributor has problems connecting electricity to my customer's property?

Yes. Lumo Energy will contact you or your customer to discuss any problems onsite or with any paperwork submitted.  

What are Lumo Energy's contact details?

You can contact us via phone or online form. Check out our Contact details

Do pit installation requests go to the retailer or the distributor?

The distributor. The distribution business is licensed to manage the network infrastructure in the customer's area, and the distributor is best placed to initiate the pit installation process and provide any quotations or information as required.

Am I entitled to a concession on my bill?

If you hold a current Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care or Gold Card, you may be entitled to a concession on your energy bill.

To apply for an energy concession please contact us on 1300 11 5866 or contact us through our online enquiry form.

If due to certain circumstances you are unable to afford your energy usage or you are in a situation where energy being switched simply is not an option please view our hardship policies.

Do I have to be a Velocity Frequent Flyer member to be on the Lumo Velocity package?
Yes, you must have a Velocity Frequent Flyer number. If you aren't a current member, you can sign up for free by visiting www.velocityrewards.com.au.

I just signed up to the Lumo Velocity Package - how many Bonus Points do I get?
Upon sign up, you will receive 10,000 Bonus Points and for every dollar you spend with us, you will receive 6 Velocity Points.

I'm with Lumo for gas too; does that mean I get 20,000 Bonus Points?
No, the 10,000 Bonus Points are only allocated once per customer, however you will still be able to earn points on your gas usage.

How are the points calculated?
The points are calculated based on your energy usage, including GST. So, if your invoice comes to $106.45, the calculation is as follows:

$106.45 + GST = $117.10
117.10 x 6(points) = 703 Velocity Points

 

I'm a current customer of Lumo Energy. Can I sign up to the Lumo Velocity package?
Yes, you can. Simply visit www.lumoenergy.com.au/velocity or call us on 1300 919 508 to organise the switch. Make sure you have your Velocity Frequent Flyer membership number handy.

Can I get green energy on the Lumo Velocity package?
Unfortunately not. If you'd prefer a green package, have a look at our Lumo Life packages.

What is the Carbon Price (or Carbon Tax)?

The Carbon price (commonly known as the Carbon tax) is part of the Australian Government's 'Clean Energy Plan'. As part of the plan, certain Australian Businesses (including energy retailers) are required to pay an amount (or 'price') according to their greenhouse gas emissions, creating a powerful incentive for businesses to cut pollution. Most businesses will pass this cost onto their customers.

The Government aims to reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5 per cent by 2020 following the introduction of the Carbon price. We recommend you go to the Australian Government's website - cleanenergyfuture.gov.au for detailed information on the Government Carbon Price, including why it has been introduced.


When does the Carbon price start?

The Carbon price will be introduced from 1 July 2012.

How does the Government set the Carbon price amount businesses are required to pay?

The Carbon price is set according to each tonne of carbon dioxide emitted, and on the emissions in natural gas, from certain businesses. We recommend you go to the Australian Government's website - cleanenergyfuture.gov.au for more information.

Will I be compensated by the government for paying the Carbon price?

We understand that the Australian Government will introduce a range of measures to provide financial assistance to some households. We recommend you go to the Australian Government's Clean Energy website - cleanenergyfuture.gov.au for more information on assistance measures.

Is Lumo passing on the carbon price to customers?

Yes, in line with many other Australian businesses that are liable to pay the carbon price, the costs we incur as a result of the carbon price will be passed on to our customers.

What makes up the energy charges on my electricity bill?
The cost of supplying electricity to your home or business is composed of four main factors. These factors, explained below, make up the energy charges on your electricity bill.

• Network charges:
  Network charges make up approximately 40% of your energy charges, and are set by the Network Operators. These charges include the cost of maintaining and developing the electrical infrastructure to meet the population's growing demand as well as distribution and connection costs - the cost of supplying electricity to homes and businesses.

• Wholesaler charges:
  Wholesaler charges are the actual cost of buying the electricity from the wholesale electricity market. This makes up approximately 28% of your energy charges.

• Government and green charges:
  Government and green charges relate to the costs associated with complying with Government policies and programmes including renewable energy and energy efficiency schemes. This makes up approximately 17% of your energy charges.

• Retailer charges:
  Retailer charges are set by Lumo, and generally  make up approximately 15% of your energy charges.

Bills with benefits.

Love to travel? Who doesn't We have partnered up with Virgin Australia?s Velocity program to offer an awesome package which gets you closer to your next fun destination with every dollar you spend on Lumo Energy. Sign up to our Lumo Velocity package and not only will you receive 10,000 Velocity Points on sign up, but you'll also receive 6 points for every dollar you spend with us.*

So - to recap the good stuff: