What a distribution network does
Big power stations and wind and solar farms feed the high-voltage transmission grid. At substations, the voltage is stepped down and handed to a distribution network, which carries it through suburbs and towns at lower voltages, and finally to the 230-volt supply in your home. That last stage, from the substation to your meter box, is the distributor's job.
The distributor builds and maintains that network, connects new homes, fixes faults, restores power after storms and, in most states, is responsible for the meter or the data that comes from it. It also carries electricity the other way when your solar panels export to the grid.
Network or retailer: who does what
Your distribution network
Set by your address- Power outages and faults
- Fallen or damaged powerlines
- New connections and upgrades
- Solar export limits and connection approval
- Does not send you a bill in most states
- Cannot be changed
Your retailer
You choose it- Your bill and payments
- Plans, rates and discounts
- Concessions and hardship help
- Moving in and out
- Cannot fix an outage
- Passes network charges on to you
The most common mistake during an outage is ringing the retailer. They cannot send a crew. Call the faults line for your network, listed on your bill and on our power outages page.
Every distribution network in Australia
| Network | Area | Customers | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| AusgridNSW | Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter | 1,801,396 | Part privately owned |
| Endeavour EnergyNSW | Greater Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, the Illawarra and the NSW South Coast | 1,112,797 | Part privately owned |
| Essential EnergyNSW | Regional and rural NSW, with parts of southern Queensland | 956,776 | Government owned |
| EnergexQLD | South-east Queensland | 1,618,370 | Government owned |
| Ergon Energy NetworkQLD | Regional Queensland, outside the south-east | 792,127 | Government owned |
| SA Power NetworksSA | All of South Australia's grid-connected homes and businesses | 945,709 | Privately owned |
| CitiPowerVIC | Melbourne's CBD and inner suburbs | 350,648 | Privately owned |
| PowercorVIC | Melbourne's western suburbs and western and central Victoria | 936,897 | Privately owned |
| United EnergyVIC | Melbourne's south-east and the Mornington Peninsula | 717,973 | Privately owned |
| AusNetVIC | Melbourne's outer east and north, and eastern and north-eastern Victoria | 823,455 | Privately owned |
| JemenaVIC | Melbourne's north-west | 383,818 | Privately owned |
| EvoenergyACT | The Australian Capital Territory | 225,475 | Privately owned |
| TasNetworksTAS | All of Tasmania | 307,118 | Government owned |
| Western PowerWA | Perth and the south-west of Western Australia | Not reported | Government owned |
| Horizon PowerWA | Regional and remote Western Australia outside the south-west | Not reported | Government owned |
| Power and Water CorporationNT | The Northern Territory's regulated networks | 86,559 | Government owned |
How networks are regulated
A distribution network is a natural monopoly: building a second set of poles down your street would make no sense. So instead of competition, networks are regulated. In the national market, the Australian Energy Regulator decides how much revenue each network can recover from customers over a five-year period, and approves its prices every year. In Western Australia, Western Power is regulated by the state's Economic Regulation Authority.
Our guide to how network prices are set explains the process, and network charges shows how much of your bill goes to the network.
Common questions
Distribution network service provider. It is the industry and regulatory term for the business that owns and operates the local electricity network: the poles, wires, substations and transformers between the high-voltage grid and your home.
No. Your distributor is set by where you live. You can choose your retailer in most of the national market, but every retailer uses the same local network to deliver power to your address.
Usually not. In most states they are separate businesses. The exceptions are regional WA, where Horizon Power does both, and some remote areas. Your bill names both your retailer and your distributor.
There are 14 distribution networks regulated by the AER in the national market and the Northern Territory, plus Western Power and Horizon Power in Western Australia. Together the AER-regulated networks connect about 11.1 million customers.
Sources
Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.