"Independent" is one of the most overused words in energy comparison. Nearly every site claims it. But independence is not a slogan. It is a business-model fact, and it comes down to one question: does the site earn more money from some recommendations than others?
If a comparison service is paid a commission when you sign up to a particular retailer, it has a financial interest in your choice, however professionally it is run. That does not make it dishonest (plenty of commission-based services are useful and reputable), but it does mean "independent" is being used loosely. True independence means the site is paid the same regardless of which plan you pick, or which retailer you choose.
The two honest ways to fund a comparison site
There are really only two clean ways to pay for a comparison service. The first is that a third party who does not care about the outcome pays. This is Energy Made Easy, funded by the Australian Energy Regulator, free to you and genuinely neutral. The second is that you pay directly, so the site answers to you.
EnergySorted uses the second model: you pay a small yearly subscription (around $39) and we take no retailer commissions. Because no retailer pays us to be listed or ranked, we have nothing to gain from steering you to one plan over another. The only way we keep your subscription is by saving you more than it costs.
How to check who a site really works for
Look for the words "commission", "referral" or "we may be paid" in the fine print or terms. Commission-funded sites are legally required to disclose this somewhere.
Ask whether it compares the whole market or a "panel" of partnered retailers. A panel is, by definition, only the retailers that have a commercial arrangement.
Check whether it is free. Free is not bad, but it means someone other than you is paying. Work out who, and what they get for it.
See whether the recommendation changes based on your real usage or just a rough estimate. Estimate-only tools cannot really be tailored to you.
Look for ongoing accountability: does the site keep checking your bills after the switch, or does it earn its fee once and move on?
Independent still is not the whole story
Even among genuinely independent sites there are meaningful differences. WATTever, for example, is an independent Australian comparison site and deserves credit for it. Independence answers "who pays", but it does not answer "how accurate" or "how ongoing".
EnergySorted differentiates on those next questions: it costs plans against your real usage read from an uploaded bill (not an estimate), tracks your bills over time with a Bill Health Score and forecasts, and covers electricity, gas and fuel together. Independence is the floor we start from, not the whole pitch.
Frequently asked questions
Do most energy comparison sites take commission from retailers?
Many commercial ones do. They are free to use because a retailer pays a referral or commission fee when you sign up. This is legal and usually disclosed in the fine print, but it does mean the site has a financial interest in your choice.
Is a commission-based site dishonest?
Not at all. Plenty are reputable and useful. The point is simply that "independent" is being used loosely: a site paid more for some outcomes than others is not neutral in the strict sense, so it is worth knowing before you rely on it.
Which comparison options are genuinely independent?
The government tool Energy Made Easy is neutral (funded by the AER). Among private sites, EnergySorted takes no retailer commissions because you pay the subscription, and WATTever is another independent Australian option. Always check the funding model rather than the claim.
How is EnergySorted funded?
By a small yearly subscription from users (around $39). It takes no retailer commissions, so the recommendation is not influenced by who pays the most. The only incentive is to save you more than the subscription costs.
Does independence guarantee I get the cheapest plan?
Independence removes the commission bias, but accuracy depends on coverage and costing method. A whole-of-market tool that costs plans on your real usage (like EnergySorted) is more likely to surface the genuinely cheapest plan for you than an independent tool using rough estimates.
What is a "panel" and why does it matter?
A panel is the set of retailers a site has commercial arrangements with. If a site only compares its panel, the cheapest plan for your household might not be shown at all. Whole-of-market tools compare every AER-listed retailer.
How can I tell if a site takes commission?
Read the fine print for words like "commission", "referral" or "we may be paid", and check whether it is free to you. If it is free and commercial, a retailer is almost always paying. Our guide to judging a comparison site sets out the three tests: coverage, who pays, and estimate versus real usage.
Does independence guarantee accuracy?
No. Independence removes the commission bias, but a neutral tool can still use rough estimates. Accuracy comes from costing plans against your real usage, which means reading an actual bill rather than a postcode and a usage band. Independence and accuracy are two separate tests.
Why does knowing how prices are set help me judge independence?
Because it shows where a retailer's margin, and therefore a commission, can come from. Understanding how retailers set their prices makes it clearer why a commission-funded site has an incentive that a subscription-funded or government tool does not.
Is the government tool a comparison site too?
Yes, Energy Made Easy is a comparison service run by the Australian Energy Regulator. It is neutral and free because the AER funds it, not retailers. It is a great independent starting point, though it uses estimated inputs and does not track your bills over time.
Why does EnergySorted charge rather than being free?
Charging a small yearly subscription (around $39) is what lets it refuse retailer commissions entirely. You can trial it free for 30 days, and the trade is simple: you pay so the retailer never does, which keeps the recommendation answering to you.
General information only, current at the time of writing. Not financial advice. Rebate schemes and rules
change; always confirm details with your retailer or state government energy site.
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