Nectr: how to leave, exit fees, benefit period ending, moving house and complaints

Nectr is the trading name of Hanwha Energy Retail Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 82 630 397 214), based at NorthPoint Tower in North Sydney and owned by the Australian arm of the Korean Hanwha group. It sells electricity only, to households in New South Wales, south-east Queensland, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia, and pairs its plans with solar and battery sales. This page is based on Nectr’s FAQ, its moving and contact pages and its complaints handling policy.

How to leave Nectr

The new retailer does the work. Sign up, and it notifies Nectr and books the transfer, which usually happens at your next scheduled meter read. Nectr’s FAQ says its Hive Saver plan has no lock-in contracts and no exit fees, so there is nothing to pay for leaving early. Our guide How to switch electricity retailer in Australia explains what the new retailer needs from you.

If you are not switching but want the supply turned off, the FAQ is specific: call 1300 111 211 or e-mail hello@nectr.com.au, and Nectr will verify a few details before it lodges the disconnection. There is no online form for a disconnection on its own.

Changed your mind soon after joining? The cooling-off period is 10 business days and starts the business day after you receive your welcome pack. Nectr says that if you transferred from another retailer and cancel in time, it will not bill you at all; only a brand new connection that has already been energised is billed for the days used.

Contract terms and exit fees

Nectr’s plans come in two kinds. Some have a fixed benefit period, typically rates fixed for 12 months, after which Nectr reviews the price. The FAQ says that about five weeks before your existing plan ends Nectr will contact you with new rates and transfer you to the new plan automatically; if you have already renewed once, you land on the Hive Saver plan, which has no lock-in and no exit fees.

What Nectr does not publish on those pages is a clause-by-clause set of market contract terms, so the document to keep is the Energy Plan Confirmation sent with your welcome pack and the Basic Plan Information Document for your plan. If an exit fee is not listed there, it cannot be charged.

The five weeks Nectr mentions sits inside the window the National Energy Retail Rules set since February 2018: a retailer must tell you that a benefit is ending no earlier than 40 and no later than 20 business days beforehand, with the date and what changes. Our guide Benefit period ending or price change notice: your rights explains how to compare when that letter arrives.

Price changes: your rights

During a fixed benefit period your rates do not move; the FAQ says they may change “on or after the end of the fixed benefit period”, and Nectr will write before then. For plans without a fixed period, the FAQ lists the notice by state: NSW, the ACT and South Australia at least 5 business days before a change; Queensland at least 10 business days before an increase and 5 before a decrease; Victoria “as soon as practicable, and otherwise no later than your next bill”.

The Victorian line is out of date. The Essential Services Commission’s Energy Retail Code of Practice requires at least five business days’ notice before a price or benefit change, together with a “best offer” message, and Nectr’s own FAQ says its wording applies “unless otherwise prohibited by regulation”. Treat five business days as the minimum everywhere.

Moving house

Existing customers move online: the FAQ says you can disconnect the old property and pick a connection date for the new one in the same form, and the moving page promises next business day connection when you book before noon on a weekday, with a free standard connection at the new address.

Nectr itself charges nothing for connections or disconnections, but your distributor or meter provider can, and the moving page says disconnection fees apply to existing customers leaving a property. Our guide Moving house: connecting electricity and gas in Australia covers each state’s distributor and the lead times.

Contact and complaints

Customer care is on 1300 111 211, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm AEST, and at hello@nectr.com.au; the contact page also has a web form and the Nectr app has a contact function. For complaints, the policy names complaints@nectr.com.au, the same phone number, and post to PO Box 1957, North Sydney NSW 2059.

Nectr’s complaints policy, written to the AS/NZS 10002 standard, says it will acknowledge a complaint promptly and preferably within three working days, tell you the outcome and the reasons, and point out your review options. If those do not satisfy you, the free external route is the Energy and Water Ombudsman for your state: NSW 1800 246 545, Queensland 1800 662 837, South Australia 1800 665 565, Victoria 1800 500 509. In the ACT energy disputes go to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal on 02 6207 1740.

What to check before you switch

Find your Energy Plan Confirmation and note the end date of any fixed benefit period and whether any fee is listed. Compare your latest bill against the reference price; our page on reading your energy bill shows where it is printed. Then compare offers in the Australian energy comparison, and if you would rather wait for the benefit period to run out, set a contract end reminder so Nectr’s letter does not catch you unprepared.