If you live in a state with a competitive energy market, chances are you’ve come across energy plans proudly advertising a rewards program.
A rewards program typically gives bill payers points for every dollar spent on their power bills*, allowing them to exchange points for goodies online.
*These plans only award you points for every dollar spent on their usage and supply charges.
Are energy rewards programs worth it?
It depends.
Energy rewards programs could be worth it if:
- If you intend to use the rewards program and any earned points.
- If a rewards program offers appliances (e.g. kettles) or lifestyle products (e.g. gift cards, theme park tickets) that are already on your ‘to buy’ list.
- If the dollar value of the points combined with the yearly estimated cost of your energy plan saves you more than the cheapest energy plan at your address. Keep in mind that they aren’t always mutually exclusive.
Conversely, energy rewards programs aren’t worth the hassle if:
- If you’re not interested in the rewards program advertised or the items/services you can redeem from it.
- If savings are your utmost priority, the cheapest energy plan irrespective of the rewards program is more important.
Comparing energy rewards programs
Not all reward points and programs are made equal. The table below reflects the energy plans offering/co-offering rewards programs in our database, with a side-by-side comparison of the estimated dollar value of their points.
Electricity Providers Offering Ongoing Rewards Point Programs | ||
Rewards Program | Provider Offering Program | Value Of A Point |
Everyday Rewards | Origin | 1 Point = $0.005 |
Qantas Frequent Flyer (QFF) | Red Energy | 1 Point = $0.0168 |
Source: www.canstar.com.au - 2/12/2025. Based on electricity plans available on Canstar's database. Value of a point for Everyday Rewards based on conversion rates available on the provider's site. Value of a point for Qantas Frequent Flyer points based on the cost of a one-way economy flight from Melbourne to Sydney, booked 6 months in advance. | ||
To paint an even clearer picture, here’s a table illustrating the dollar value of points you could be earning based on estimated annual usage figures in each state:
States and their estimated yearly estimated usage | Origin Everyday Rewards Plan | Red Energy Qantas Frequent Flyer Plan | |
NSW | 3,900 kWh | $33.65 | $222.20 |
VIC | 4,000 kWh | $32.27 | $213.96 |
QLD | 4,600 kWh | $35.61 | $229.57 |
SA | 4,000 kWh | $35.82 | $238.80 |
Source: Canstar, December 2025. Based on Origin Everyday Rewards Plan and Red Energy Qantas Frequent Flyer Plans in our database. The postcodes used include: NSW 2040, VIC 3122, QLD 4064, SA 5033. | |||
Keep in mind that the figures shown include the following sign-up bonuses and conditional discounts:
- Red Energy Qantas Frequent Flyer Plan: 10,000 QFF ($168 worth) points bonus if you pay your first electricity bill in full.
- Origin Everyday Rewards Plan: 5,000 Everyday Rewards ($25 worth) points bonus if you sign up for an electricity plan as a new customer.
If your energy plan doesn’t offer a rewards program
A rewards credit card gives you extra benefits that you earn according to how much money you spend on your credit card.
Unfortunately, most banks exclude utility payments (e.g. power bills) from points earning.
One way to bypass this restriction is to use a third-party payment platform to handle all your bill payments or business expenses.
Sniip
Sniip is a smartphone app for managing all your payments under one roof. By using a Sniip as a middleman, you can continue earning points through your credit card’s reward program.
While there are no app downloads or monthly membership fees, every transaction will incur a processing fee, with business cards attracting a higher fee.
Pay.com.au
Pay.com.au works similarly to Sniip. However, they are exclusively marketed to Australian businesses. Moreover, it offers three tiers: Free, Regular at $85/month and Premium at $165.
In terms of processing fees, Free attracts the highest while Premium attracts the lowest. However, both the Regular and Premium tiers offer exclusive access to Paypoints and Payrewards, their in-house rewards program.
That means you can enjoy points earning on both your reward credit card and Payrewards on their paid tiers.
Are third-party bill payment platforms worth it?
These payment platforms are only worth it if the value of the points you earn on each bill surpasses all processing and membership fees (if applicable).
Both companies offer a simple-to-use calculator to estimate processing fees for each transaction. We recommend using them before committing to any single platform.
Energy plans are more than just rewards programs
An energy rewards program can be a lucrative way to save. But we don’t recommend looking at them in isolation.
It’s important to study a plan’s basic product information sheet in detail, paying equal attention to electricity rates, tariffs and discounts.
But if you find taking the first step towards energy savings intimidating, we recommend visiting our guide to energy in Australia to get you started on your journey.
Using Canstar’s energy comparison platform, you can also compare some of the cheapest energy plans from over 25 providers at your address in mere minutes.
