Energy bills can be full of unfamiliar terms. Here we explain controlled load (also known as ‘dedicated circuit usage’).
Controlled load is the electricity used by a stand-alone item, which is separately metered to the rest of your household’s electricity usage. It’s most commonly used for hot water systems, but it can also be used for other items, including under-floor or slab heating and pool pumps. They are generally appliances and devices that use a large amount of energy but don’t need to be running all the time.
Controlled load operating hours – that is, the timing window that your controlled appliances may turn on – can vary based on your state and distribution area and are usually set by your distributor. We may also vary your controlled load timings from time to time
More details are listed on the below tabs. We’ll add information if changes are happening across other states.
In New South Wales, from 1 July 2024 Ausgrid has both overnight and daytime operating windows as standard for controlled load 1 tariffs. An overnight-only option is no longer available.
We’re adding a daytime operating window for our customers who have a Controlled Load 1 tariff in line with the available timings that Ausgrid has set.
Overnight
- between 10.00pm and 6:45am AEST/AEDT (early April to early October)
- between 9.00pm and 4.15am AEST/AEDT (October)
- between 9.00pm and 5.45am AEST/AEDT (November to early April)
Daytime
- between 10.00am and 4.45pm AEST/AEDT (early April to early October)
- between 9.00am and 3.45pm AEST/AEDT (October)
- between 9.00am and 1.30pm AEST/AEDT (November to early April)
Controlled load appliances have traditionally been switched on overnight, for the purposes of using cheaper off-peak power.
With more solar energy produced during the day due to the increasing number of rooftop solar systems, adding a daytime operating window is becoming more common. Shifting certain electrical loads to other times can reduce pressure on the grid and optimise the use of renewable energy.
Some of the common controlled load items include:
- Electric hot water
- Underfloor heating
- Slab heating
- Pool pump
- Irrigation pump
Controlled load appliances are high energy-usage appliances which are connected to the electricity grid but are separately metered to track their individual usage. This allows the usage to be billed at a different rate.
You’ll find usage listed in the ‘Energy charges’ section on page 2 of your bill.
Depending on the state you’re in, controlled load tariffs may be called different names – they are most commonly known as controlled load 1, controlled load 2 or dedicated circuit.