- Cheapest overall
- Red Energy, more often than not. Its plans typically run 8% to 18% below the DMO against AGL's 5% to 15%.
- Customer satisfaction
- Red Energy by a wide margin: 4.2/5 on ProductReview against AGL's 1.8/5 on Google.
- Ownership and green credentials
- Red Energy is owned by Snowy Hydro, which is owned by the Australian Government, with accredited 100% GreenPower options.
- Best for bundling
- AGL (electricity, gas, solar, internet, EV). Red Energy offers electricity and gas, and does not serve the ACT.
The short answer
This is the rare head-to-head with a fairly clear winner for most households. Red Energy usually prices at or below AGL, typically 8% to 18% below the Default Market Offer against AGL's 5% to 15%, and its customer satisfaction is in a different league: 4.2/5 on ProductReview against AGL's 1.8/5 on Google. AGL claws back ground on breadth: it serves the ACT (Red does not), and it can bundle electricity, gas, solar, internet and EV charging into one account. But if you want a straightforward energy retailer that is competitively priced, well rated and Australian-owned, Red Energy is the stronger default.
Who they are
Red Energy is owned by Snowy Hydro, which is in turn owned by the Australian Government, making it a retailer backed by government-owned renewable generation. It retails electricity and gas in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. AGL, founded in 1837, is Australia's oldest energy company and its largest retailer, with roughly 4 million customer accounts across the same states plus the ACT.
Plans compared
Red Energy keeps its range simple: Living Energy (flat rate with real-time usage tracking through its app, typically 10% to 18% below the DMO), a Basic no-frills plan (8% to 15% below), and an accredited 100% GreenPower option (5% to 12% below). The real-time usage data on Living Energy is a genuine differentiator; most retailers show you yesterday's data at best.
AGL offers its Low Plan (lower usage rates, higher supply charge) and Value Saver (the reverse), letting households pick the shape that suits their consumption. AGL also runs frequent introductory offers and bill credits for new customers, which can make it briefly competitive, provided you re-compare when the promotional period ends.
Worked example: NSW Ausgrid network, 4,000 kWh/year. Against the 2026-27 DMO 8 reference price of $1,744 (AER, effective 1 July 2026), Red Energy's Living Energy at 14% off lands around $1,500 a year, while a typical AGL plan at 10% off lands around $1,570. A $70 gap is not dramatic, but Red pairs it with far better service ratings, and the gap widens on networks where Red prices aggressively.
Beyond price
Service. Review scores are not directly comparable across platforms, but the pattern is consistent everywhere you look: Red Energy sits among the best-rated electricity retailers in the country, while AGL sits in the complaint-heavy band typical of the Big 3. Red's call centres are Australian-based and its billing is straightforward.
Green credentials. Red's backing by Snowy Hydro gives it a direct link to government-owned renewable generation, plus accredited GreenPower options. AGL still operates coal generation assets while investing in its transition.
Breadth. AGL wins here: five services in one account, coverage of the ACT, and one of the more capable apps in the market. Red Energy is an energy-only retailer in four states.
See both at your address
Rates for Red Energy and AGL vary by distribution network. The only comparison that matters is the one at your postcode.
Compare plans nowWhen each one wins
Choose Red Energy if you want competitive pricing with genuinely good service, you value Australian government-backed ownership and renewable generation, or you want real-time usage visibility through Living Energy.
Choose AGL if you live in the ACT, you want energy, internet, solar and EV charging with one provider, or a current AGL introductory offer beats Red at your address and you are disciplined about re-comparing when it expires.
Compare beyond both if you chase the absolute lowest price. Retailers like 1st Energy and Alinta Energy sometimes undercut Red, and the July 2026 reference price reset has every retailer sharpening offers for switchers.
Our verdict: Red Energy or AGL?
Red Energy is what the challenger brands promised to be: cheaper than the incumbents, better rated, Australian-owned and straightforward. Against AGL it wins on price more often than it loses, and it wins on service almost everywhere. We rate it one of the strongest all-round choices in the market.
AGL remains the right answer for a specific customer: the bundler who wants everything in one account, or the ACT resident Red cannot serve. For everyone else, if you are comparing these two, Red Energy is the better starting point, and the comparison worth running is Red against the cheapest plan at your address.