Smart Energy Communities Trial

Essential Energy is committed to providing a safe and reliable power supply to all customers across its footprint in regional, rural and remote NSW and parts of Southern QLD. As the transition to more renewable energy continues, it’s important we have a greater understanding of our customers’ energy usage to allow better planning for future energy services. To support this, we’re piloting Smart Energy Communities.

The Smart Energy Communities trial aims to engage electricity customers in three communities, collecting energy usage data and insights to create a deeper understanding of emerging needs and options for affordable and reliable electricity supply and services.


Trial Communities

The trial will run for approximately two years from March 2023, and is engaging three NSW communities:

  • Ivanhoe, in the Central Darling Shire, a farming and mining town in the state’s far south-west. Traditional lands of the Ngiyampaa people.

  • Tibooburra in ‘Corner Country’, the far north-west of the state where NSW, South Australia and Queensland intersect, and the tourism gateway to the iconic Sturt National Park. Traditional lands of the Karenggapa people.

  • Tea Gardens in the MidCoast Council area on the state’s mid-north coast, a gated community. Traditional lands of the Biripi and Worimi peoples.

Please click on one of the trial community pages on the right to learn more about each location.


Essential Energy is committed to providing a safe and reliable power supply to all customers across its footprint in regional, rural and remote NSW and parts of Southern QLD. As the transition to more renewable energy continues, it’s important we have a greater understanding of our customers’ energy usage to allow better planning for future energy services. To support this, we’re piloting Smart Energy Communities.

The Smart Energy Communities trial aims to engage electricity customers in three communities, collecting energy usage data and insights to create a deeper understanding of emerging needs and options for affordable and reliable electricity supply and services.


Trial Communities

The trial will run for approximately two years from March 2023, and is engaging three NSW communities:

  • Ivanhoe, in the Central Darling Shire, a farming and mining town in the state’s far south-west. Traditional lands of the Ngiyampaa people.

  • Tibooburra in ‘Corner Country’, the far north-west of the state where NSW, South Australia and Queensland intersect, and the tourism gateway to the iconic Sturt National Park. Traditional lands of the Karenggapa people.

  • Tea Gardens in the MidCoast Council area on the state’s mid-north coast, a gated community. Traditional lands of the Biripi and Worimi peoples.

Please click on one of the trial community pages on the right to learn more about each location.


  • Smart Energy Communities Trial Commences

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    In March 2023 Essential Energy officially launched the Smart Energy Communities trials, with Tea Gardens (Palm Lakes Resort) being the first community to receive 100 free Wattwatchers devices which enable personal monitoring of energy consumption. Ivanhoe and Tibooburra, were next with 50 community members in each town receiving a Wattwatchers device during May and June 2023.

Page last updated: 10 Sep 2024, 03:44 PM