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Zembl is an independent energy broker, procurement specialist, and total business energy partner. For large businesses in NSW, Zembl manages a professionally run procurement process to secure competitive rates, and provides ongoing support to help businesses use less and pay less for energy over the full contract term.
For businesses using more than 100,000 kWh of electricity per year, Zembl manages the full commercial electricity procurement process: collecting interval meter data via a Letter of Authority, running a formal competitive tender across a panel of leading retailers, and modelling every offer against the actual load profile of each site so the comparison reflects real cost, not indicative pricing.
What Zembl does
Zembl provides commercial energy procurement and ongoing energy management services for large businesses and multi-site operators across all three NSW distribution networks — from data collection through to contract execution and ongoing account management.
Manages the complete electricity procurement process, from interval data collection and tender preparation through to offer modelling and contract execution.
Runs a structured tender with a panel of leading retailers, so retailers compete on price and terms based on the actual load profile of each site.
Negotiates commercial energy contracts directly with retailers on the customer's behalf. No obligation to accept any offer, at any stage.
Provides ongoing invoice validation, network tariff monitoring, and account management throughout the full life of the contract.
Supports multi-site operators to manage energy costs and data across complex portfolios, including aligning contract terms and consolidating reporting.
Identifies energy efficiency and sustainability opportunities that reduce consumption and support ESG and sustainability reporting requirements.
Zembl works with a panel of leading Australian energy retailers. For a current list of panel retailers, visit zembl.com.au/suppliers.
Why Zembl
Zembl has helped more than 30,000 Australian businesses² manage energy costs since 2009. Over 17 years, Zembl has built strong, long-term relationships with every retailer on its panel, which means retailers are responsive, pricing is competitive, and the tender process runs efficiently.
At the same time, Zembl remains completely independent. There is no financial incentive to favour one retailer over another, and every recommendation is made in the customer's interest, based on their actual load profile and requirements.
4 out of 5 recommend³
4 out of 5 businesses would recommend using Zembl to other businesses for their energy needs.
Completely independent. No financial incentive to favour any one retailer — every recommendation is based on the customer's actual load profile and requirements.
Key takeaways
Three NSW distribution networks
NSW electricity is delivered through Ausgrid (Sydney, Central Coast, Hunter Valley), Endeavour Energy (Greater Western Sydney, Illawarra, South Coast), and Essential Energy (regional and rural NSW). Your distributor is assigned by site location and sets your network charges.
100,000 kWh eligibility threshold
Businesses using more than 100,000 kWh per year in NSW are eligible for commercial electricity contracts, where pricing is modelled against actual consumption rather than a standing offer rate.
Network charges are non-contestable
Network charges, including demand charges, are set by your distributor and passed through unchanged regardless of which retailer you choose. Energy rates and environmental costs are where retailers genuinely differ.
Demand charges matter
Demand charges are a significant part of many large commercial electricity bills in NSW. For most sites, demand is measured in kVA from the peak 30-minute interval in the billing period. They are a non-contestable network pass-through.
The broker manages the full tender
A commercial electricity broker obtains interval data via a Letter of Authority, runs a competitive tender with a retailer panel, and models each offer against actual usage for accurate comparison.
Broker services are commission-funded
Broker services are typically funded by an introductory commission from the winning retailer, built into the retailer's pricing rather than charged directly to the client.
The process
Zembl's commercial procurement process is structured and fully managed. These seven steps apply to all large business procurement in NSW, regardless of which distribution network the site is on.
A signed Letter of Authority (LOA) authorises Zembl to access interval data and account information. Interval data covering 12 months is preferred — a recent bill per site is all that's needed to start.
A Zembl Energy Expert reviews current rates, tariff structure, usage patterns, contract end date, exit provisions, environmental charges, and metering fees to establish a clear picture of current costs.
Zembl prepares a tender pack using the site's actual load profile and invites competitive offers from the retailer panel. All retailers price on the same data and assumptions for genuine comparability.
Zembl provides a written summary of tender outcomes, including energy rates, environmental costs, contract terms, and any conditions. Zembl advises on the option best suited to the customer's needs and risk profile.
The customer selects their preferred option or chooses not to proceed. There is no obligation at any stage of the process.
Zembl notifies the chosen retailer, manages contract execution and documentation, and coordinates the handover process so the transition is completed without disruption to supply.
Zembl provides ongoing reporting, invoice validation, and account management throughout the contract. Each customer has a dedicated account manager. At contract expiry, Zembl manages re-tender so the business is never left on an expired arrangement.
When to start: Begin the process six to 12 months before your current contract expires. Starting late risks accepting a rollover. Once offers are received, decisions need to move quickly — retailer pricing typically has a validity window of three to five business days.
Definitions
A commercial electricity broker is a specialist who manages electricity procurement on behalf of large businesses eligible for commercial energy contracts. The broker acts as the intermediary between the business and the electricity retail market, handling data collection, tender preparation, and offer modelling.
Rather than approaching retailers directly, a good broker prepares a complete tender pack using the business's interval meter data, submits it to a panel of retailers under consistent assumptions, manages all clarification questions centrally, and models each response against the actual load profile. The result is a comparison that reflects real cost, not indicative pricing.
Broker
Manages the procurement process. Runs a competitive tender across multiple retailers. Compares offers independently. Advises on the best outcome for your business.
Retailer
Sells electricity directly to your business. Sets the energy rate and contract terms. Contracts directly with your business for supply.
Commercial electricity brokers typically receive an introductory commission from the retailer when a contract is signed. This commission is built into the retailer's pricing rather than charged separately to the client. Some brokers also earn ongoing commission embedded in the energy rate over the contract term, or a metering commission if they facilitate a metering coordinator appointment.
Some brokers may also charge a Value Added Service (VAS) fee for the scope of work involved in commercial procurement, tendering, and ongoing account management. Brokers with a transparency-first approach disclose their full remuneration structure before the procurement process begins.
100,000
kWh of electricity per year in NSW
Above this threshold, businesses can negotiate contract terms, rate structures, and environmental arrangements through a competitive tender, rather than being limited to standard set market plans.
For reference, 100,000 kWh per year is broadly equivalent to spending around $3,000 or more per month on electricity.
Commercial: Pricing modelled against actual load profile. Structured competitive tender. Negotiated terms, including contract length, rate structure, and environmental arrangements.
Standard plan: Set market offer rates. Can be compared and switched without a fixed-term commitment. No formal tender process required.
NSW electricity networks
In NSW, electricity is delivered through three licensed distribution networks. Each is operated by a separate distributor covering a distinct geographic area. Distributors do not sell electricity — that is the retailer's role. But they set the network charges on your bill, and those charges are non-contestable.
Ausgrid operates across approximately 22,275 km² and supplies more than two million customers. Commercial customers in the Sydney CBD, North Sydney, Newcastle, the Hunter region and the Central Coast are on the Ausgrid network.
Confirm your network at ausgrid.com.au
Endeavour Energy covers approximately 24,800 km² across Greater Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Illawarra and the South Coast — including Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, Wollongong and the Western Sydney Airport Aerotropolis.
Coverage at endeavourenergy.com.au
Essential Energy serves regional and rural NSW — the largest network by geographic area in the state — including Tamworth, Dubbo, Broken Hill, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Port Macquarie and the Far North Coast.
Coverage at essentialenergy.com.au
Network tariffs
A network tariff is a pricing structure assigned to your site by your network distributor. It determines how your network charges are calculated: whether you are charged on flat consumption, time of use, demand, or some combination of these. Network tariffs are not selected by the customer or the retailer — they are assigned by the distributor based on your site's load profile and metering type.
For businesses on commercial electricity contracts, the network tariff is visible and itemised on the bill. The tariff category determines how much you pay for network access, independent of which retailer you are contracted with. If your assigned tariff changes, your network charges change accordingly, even if your retail contract stays the same.
A Network Tariff Review is the process of reviewing whether a site's assigned network tariff remains appropriate for its current load profile. If a business's usage patterns have changed significantly — through equipment upgrades, solar installation, or changes to operating hours — a broker can review whether the assigned tariff still reflects how the site actually uses electricity. A mismatch between tariff structure and usage behaviour can add material cost over a long-term contract.
Demand charges
A demand charge is a network charge based on the maximum electricity demand a site draws from the grid during a billing period. For most large commercial sites in NSW, demand is measured in kilovolt-amperes (kVA). The charge exists because the network distributor must maintain enough infrastructure to meet each site's peak load at all times.
Demand charges are non-contestable: they are set by the network distributor and passed through to the customer unchanged regardless of which retailer is contracted. They cannot be reduced by switching retailers.
Demand is measured from the highest 30-minute interval in the billing period (shown in red). That peak kVA figure is multiplied by the applicable demand rate set by your network distributor.
Businesses that actively manage peak demand can reduce this charge over time — through equipment scheduling, load shifting, or operational changes. This is an area where a broker can add value beyond the tender itself.
Demand charges are a non-contestable pass-through: they are the same regardless of which retailer you choose and cannot be reduced by switching retailers. Businesses should focus retail comparison on the contestable components: energy rates, environmental costs, and where applicable, metering fees.
Your electricity bill
A commercial electricity bill in NSW is made up of contestable and non-contestable components. Understanding which components retailers actually compete on is the difference between a tender that creates genuine value and one that produces offers that look different on paper but are equivalent once the non-contestable costs are stripped out.
Illustrative only. Actual bill composition varies significantly depending on your network distributor, tariff structure, usage profile, and operational hours.
The rate you pay for the electricity you consume. This is where retailers genuinely differ and where a competitive tender creates value. Typically 40–55% of total cost, depending on tariff structure and usage.
Renewable energy certificates (LGCs, STCs) and other environmental schemes. Retailers price these differently. Comparable across retailers in a structured tender.
Set by your distributor (Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, or Essential Energy) and passed through unchanged regardless of retailer. Includes demand charges, consumption charges, and supply charges.
AEMO market operator fees are regulated pass-throughs, the same across all retailers. Metering fees can vary if a metering coordinator appointment is facilitated.
When comparing retailer offers: exclude network charges, AEMO fees, and any other non-contestable pass-throughs. Focus the comparison on energy rate, environmental costs, and applicable metering fees — these are the components retailers actually compete on.
The tender
A commercial electricity tender is a structured process for getting comparable quotes from multiple retailers using the same site data and assumptions. The goal is genuine comparability: when retailers price from different assumptions, offers that look similar can produce very different costs once the contract is live.
The primary data requirement is interval meter data — a time-series record of the site's electricity consumption in 30-minute blocks. This is typically obtained by the broker via a Letter of Authority (LOA). The customer usually needs to provide one recent bill per site to get started.
Offers are modelled by applying each retailer's quoted rates to the same interval dataset under identical assumptions. That model calculates an estimated annual cost for each offer based on the site's actual load profile.
The comparison must focus on the contestable components only: energy rate, environmental costs, and applicable metering fees. Including network charges as if they were negotiable will overstate the apparent difference between retailers.
Zembl is proud to be a signatory of the National Customer Code for Energy Brokers, Consultants and Retailers.
Zembl is proud to be a signatory of the National Customer Code for Energy Comparators & Energy Moving Services.
Frequently asked questions
A commercial electricity broker in NSW is a specialist who manages electricity procurement on behalf of large businesses eligible for commercial energy contracts. The broker collects interval meter data, prepares a tender pack, goes to market with a panel of leading retailers, and models the offers so contestable components can be compared accurately. The retailer contracts directly with the business; the broker manages the process on the business's behalf.
Businesses using more than 100,000 kWh of electricity per year in NSW are eligible for commercial electricity contracts. Above that threshold, pricing is negotiated through a competitive tender rather than set at a standing offer rate. For context, 100,000 kWh per year is broadly equivalent to spending around $3,000 or more per month on electricity. Businesses below that level are on standard retail plans and can compare and switch without a formal tender process.
NSW has three licensed electricity distribution networks. Ausgrid covers Sydney, the Central Coast and Hunter Valley. Endeavour Energy covers Greater Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Illawarra and South Coast. Essential Energy covers regional and rural NSW. Your distributor is assigned based on your site's location and determines the network charges on your bill. Network charges are non-contestable pass-throughs and are the same regardless of which retailer you choose.
A demand charge is a network charge based on peak electricity demand during a billing period. For large commercial sites in NSW, demand is typically measured in kilovolt-amperes (kVA), based on the highest consumption interval (normally 30 minutes) recorded. It is set by the network distributor and passed through unchanged regardless of retailer. Demand charges cannot be reduced by switching retailers, but businesses that actively manage their peak load can reduce them over time, independent of the retail contract.
The contestable components of a commercial electricity bill in NSW are the energy and retail rate, environmental costs, and metering fees. These are where retailers genuinely differ and where a competitive tender creates value. Network charges, including demand charges, and AEMO market operator fees are regulated pass-throughs: they are the same regardless of which retailer you choose and cannot be negotiated by switching or running a tender.
The three distributors serve different geographic areas in NSW and each sets its own network tariff structure, approved annually by the AER. The distributor serving your site is determined by location and cannot be changed. For commercial customers, the distributor determines the network charges on the bill, including demand charges, consumption charges, and fixed supply charges under the assigned tariff. The retailer procurement process and broker role are the same across all three networks.
Commercial electricity contracts in NSW are typically fixed-term, running between one and five years. The right term depends on how much pricing certainty the business needs and how much exposure to market movements it can accommodate. Longer terms provide more budget predictability; shorter terms allow more flexibility to re-tender if market conditions change. A broker can advise on term structure as part of the tender process based on current market conditions and the business's risk profile.
A network tariff is a pricing structure assigned to your site by your network distributor — Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy or Essential Energy. It defines how network charges are calculated and is based on your site's load profile and metering type. It cannot be selected or negotiated with retailers. If your usage patterns have changed significantly, a review of your assigned tariff by an energy broker may identify whether the current structure remains appropriate for your site.
Most commercial electricity brokers in NSW receive an introductory commission from the retailer when a contract is signed. This is built into the retailer's pricing rather than billed separately to the client. Some brokers also receive ongoing commission embedded in the energy rate over the contract term, or a metering commission if they facilitate a metering coordinator appointment. Some brokers may also charge a Value Added Service (VAS) fee. A broker operating with transparency will disclose their full remuneration structure before the procurement process begins.
Start the process six to 12 months before your current contract expires, or longer if you have multiple sites to align. That window allows time for interval data collection, tender pack preparation, retailer Q&A, offer modelling, and internal sign-off without time pressure. Starting late could mean accepting a rollover at less competitive terms. Once offers are received, decisions need to move quickly as retailer pricing typically has a validity window of three to five business days.
¹ Based on reviews published on Trustpilot, Google, and Product Review as at June 2026. Combined, Zembl has received more than 3,300 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.8 stars across all three platforms. Ratings are subject to change over time as new reviews are received and published.
² Based on Zembl customer records as at May 2026. Customer numbers reflect businesses that have used Zembl's energy comparison and procurement services across Australia. Figures are rounded and subject to change over time.
³ Based on feedback collected from Zembl customers between 1 January and 31 March 2025. Customers were surveyed about whether they would recommend Zembl to other businesses. Figures reflect responses received during the survey period only and may change over time as new feedback is collected.
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