The short version: picking a gas retailer follows the same logic as picking an electricity retailer — compare the per-GJ rate, the monthly admin fee, the term, and the exit fee. The savings opportunity is smaller, the urgency is lower, and the bundle decision (one retailer for both, or two) deserves a quick check before signing.

The bundle assumption that costs money

"My electricity retailer also does gas, so I will just take both from them." It is convenient and often the best choice. But sometimes the same retailer\'s gas offering is uncompetitive relative to a focused gas competitor, and the bundle discount does not close the gap. A five-minute check before signing is worth doing.

The four contract terms to compare

Per-GJ rate

Fixed or variable. Compare against the rolling DRT for your area, not a single month.

Monthly admin fee

Adds 12 × the fee to your annual cost. Can dominate the comparison on summer-light gas users.

Contract term

1 to 5 year terms common. Shorter is more flexible.

Exit fee

$50 to $200 typical. Worth checking before signing.

Tool: compare two gas offers head to head

Enter the rates and fees for two offers, plus your annual GJ use. The tool returns the all-in annual energy cost for each.

Annual energy + fee
$
Annual energy + fee
$
Verdict

is cheaper by about $ per year on this gas use.

The non-obvious thing about summer-light gas users

Households with high winter use and low summer use are the most sensitive to monthly admin fees. The fee is collected every month, including the summer months when a typical bill might be $25 for gas. An $11.95 admin fee on a $25 summer bill is 48 percent of the bill. Over a year, the fee can absorb most of the rate-driven savings the retailer is otherwise offering.

What this means for your household

  • Compare gas offers in $/GJ. Reject anything quoted in cubic metres without conversion.
  • Watch the monthly admin fee. On smaller users it can dominate.
  • Check the bundle. Sometimes one retailer is best; sometimes two retailers beat the bundle.
  • Look at UCA complaint data before signing with a small retailer.

Frequently asked questions

Often yes, for convenience. Dual-fuel bundles offer simpler billing and sometimes a small discount. The math sometimes favours separate retailers — compare both before deciding.
Less than electricity in most cases. The energy share of a gas bill is smaller, and the spread between competitive and default rates is narrower. Annual savings of a few percent of the gas bill are typical.
About the same on average. The UCA tracks complaint data by retailer for both commodities. Larger, longer-established retailers tend to have polished systems; smaller ones can offer sharper pricing.
A plan that bundles natural gas with carbon offsets or biogas credits. The commodity is the same gas in the pipe; the green label reflects retired credits. Premium pricing reflects the offsets.
Yes, on credit-check grounds. If every retailer refuses, the default supplier must still serve you on the DRT.