CDR and controlled loads
What is a controlled load?
If you’re here, you probably know this already, but a controlled load is an additional meter (with a different tariff) that’s designed to run at off-peak times. Typically it’s used for large electricity loads which can be run overnight e.g. electric hot water or pool pumps. Historically we haven’t been able to track usage (or cost) for controlled loads as they’re often not monitored by consumption meters, but now we’re able to monitor controlled loads for sites in the National Electricity Market states (QLD, NSW, VIC, ACT, TAS, SA), providing your electricity retailer is participating in CDR. View the current list of supported retailers here.
What is CDR?
Consumer Data Right (CDR) is an Australian government initiative that grants consumers the right to easily access their data, enabling them to have more control and make informed decisions when comparing products and services. Initially introduced in the banking sector, CDR has now been extended to the energy sector as well. To learn more about CDR, you can find additional information here.
And what does it mean for my Solar Analytics site?
By providing consent for us to access your energy data through CDR, it means we can show your controlled load, and take it into consideration when calculating your electricity bills and savings tracking, as well as your plan recommendations in Plan Optimiser.
Additionally, we’ll also automatically add your electricity plan details and keep them updated so your electricity bill and savings calculations, and plan and battery recommendations will always be accurate. More information on that here.
Does this affect my electricity bill and savings calculations, and plan recommendations?
Great news - now that we have your controlled load usage and cost, your electricity bill and savings calculations will be a LOT more accurate. We’ve also updated Plan Optimiser, so it will default to showing you plans with controlled loads first (just expand the plan to all rates and charges).
Please note that Plan Optimiser will default to showing plans that match your current tariff type, are from retailers that are live with CDR and that have controlled load rates - you can view more plans by using the radio buttons on these filters.
How do I sign up?
If your site doesn’t have a consumption meter, follow the instructions here to sign up for CDR. If you do have a consumption meter, you should see an option to ‘Add plan automatically’ on your Electricity Bill page, just like the below. As an added bonus, this consent means we’ll get your electricity plan details automatically, and keep them up to date. More info on that here.
Why can’t I see my controlled load any more?
If you’ve recently switched retailers, you will only be able to view your controlled load up to the date that you switched. If you switched to another CDR-supported retailer, you’ll just need to hit the ‘Manage plan consent’ button on your Electricity Bill page, or head to Settings > My Site. Once you’ve clicked through, select the bin icon next to your current consent to revoke it, then you can add a new one by following the ‘Add plan automatically’ prompts from your Electricity Bill page, or ‘Add consumption data’ (if you don’t have it already!) from your Dashboard homepage.
