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.


Ask a question about the Smart Energy Communities Trial

If you are not involved in the trial but would like to ask us a question please do so here and we will respond as soon as we can. 

Questions from participants who live in the trial communities should be asked in the Ask Essential area on their own Community Engagement webpages, as this page is for public Smart Energy Communities trial information.

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  • Will you be offering this trial in batesmans Bay in future?

    Bbay asked about 1 year ago

    Thank you for your question regarding other trial locations. 

    Whilst we do not intend to extend the Smart Energy Communities trial to other locations at present the intent of the trial is to gauge if this could be a future network service, if proven to be a future network service we will be looking for viable sites within our footprint. Additionally, if information gathered during the Smart Energy Communities Trial is appropriate to share with the wider public, we will add it to the Smart Energy Communities Trial page. 

     Please visit the Smart Energy Communities Trial page from time to time to read about the journey the three trial communities are on

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