topic Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly. in Energy Accounts & Plans

Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Davidmyer — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 04:02:44 GMT

I have just received an email advising that without consultation AGL is moving me to monthly billing. I don't want it. I want to stay on quarterly. I do not want the hassle of paying every month. I don't want to go on an automatic debit - I want no-one to have access to extract money from my account - I pay when I have seen a bill and checked it. So do I now have to change retailer? Is there any way of staying on a quarterly billing cycle?

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Lester — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 06:37:38 GMT

Is this electricity or gas ? Or both ?

Monthly billing or quarterly billing SHOULD be optional, maybe with a caveat if there has been any sort of ongoing issue with quarterly bills being paid on time etc, they may then want to rein in such accounts.

Assuming you do pay on time by the due date each quarterly bill, monthly was optional when they first started touting moving people to it some 8 months ago ??

I posted about receiving an email from AGL and they mentioned in there that you can stay on quarterly billing, and the steps to do this . . . I'll try and find the thread as it did have in there how to stay on the quarterly billing.

https://neighbourhood.agl.com.au/t5/Energy-Accounts-Plans/Deciding-bill-frequency-for-the-customer-now/m-p/35776

Obviously the feedback from that thread was not taken on board by AGL.

A couple of other threads found since that was posted too, so you are not alone in this confusion, and need to have to do something to go back to paying 4 x a year instead of 12 !

https://neighbourhood.agl.com.au/t5/Energy-Accounts-Plans/Returned-to-quarterly-billing/td-p/39323

https://neighbourhood.agl.com.au/t5/Energy-Accounts-Plans/Monthly-billing/td-p/35935

You shouldn't have to do anything to reverse such a change by AGL, they should send an email or letter asking if you want to OPT IN.

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

megan_AGL — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 23:17:42 GMT

Hi Davidmyer,

If monthly billing is not for you and you’d prefer to remain on quarterly billing, you can cancel it by following these steps in My Account.

Select your name in the top right corner, then 'Account Settings'
In the 'Billing and payments menu, go to 'Monthly billing' and select 'Edit'
Next to your monthly billing service, select 'Cancel'.

Kind regards,

Megan

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Davidmyer — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 23:24:59 GMT

Splendid response - thorough and clear. Thank you so much. It alerted me to the fact that it is optional despite the presumptive email from them.

In the end I used the online chatbot and very quickly they made the adjustment with no fuss. I am back on quarterly (for electricity).

Thanks for your help.

David

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Davidmyer — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 13:15:17 GMT

Thanks Loxucedena. I will have a look at that idea.

Very helpful.

David

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Lester — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 23:08:35 GMT

David, be aware this looks like electric bills for Pakistan customers, and you shouldn't click links like continue and such on unknown websites.

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

SYED_AGL — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 23:41:20 GMT

Hi Loxucedena,

Thank you for reaching out!

Switching to monthly billing can be really helpful for managing your budget, as it gives you a clearer view of your usage on a monthly basis. It’s a great way to stay on top of your expenses and plan accordingly.

Of course, if you prefer, you can always switch back to quarterly billing. However, many customers find that monthly billing helps them better understand their usage and manage their budget more effectively.

If you have any further questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out!

Thanks,
Syed

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Sanjee — Fri, 09 May 2025 10:43:22 GMT

Hello,

I've been sent a similar email but told that I'm moving to monthly billing because I have a digital meter.

Can I opt for quarterly billing as well, even with a digital meter?

Thanks

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Lester — Sat, 10 May 2025 01:16:24 GMT

Should be ok to change back, annoying to have to do so.

It is best to call AGL on 131245 to get it done right away.

I had to do this for my home account some time ago, and yesterday got my workshop business new plan details, and yes, that was changed to monthly too !!

I had to spend 30 mins on the phone yesterday to get it sorted, but had some plan changes as well, so should only be a short talk to change plan billing period back.

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Davidmyer — Sat, 10 May 2025 04:25:16 GMT

Yes you can stay on quarterly (or two monthly) - just tell them and they will put you back on whatever you were on. Bloody rude, in my view to steam-roller people into it just because it suits them.

Good luck.

David

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Lester — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 05:54:45 GMT

Hey @loxucedena "Hey Sanjee, you can definitely switch back to quarterly billing, even with a digital meter—just contact AGL directly to sort it out. I found this site helpful for understanding billing options: .pk link removed Good luck!

Best regards, Simran Singh"

Simran, you do know this is an aussie energy forum, not Pakistan ?

I am fairly sure that link you have posted before is relative in .pk only, WHY POST IT (AGAIN) ???

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Mayhemdiva — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:23:25 GMT

Thank you for your quick fix. I received my email today TELLING ME that i was being put on monthly bills after 35 years of AGL quarterly. No opt in or out just telling me.

So using your instructions I opted out. Surely it should be an option not a rule.

Thank you again.

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Caban — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 06:55:14 GMT

I too was changed to Monthly.

An hour later I looked into my online account and switched it back to Quarterly.

Would really have preferred to be asked rather than just switching me over.

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

SYED_AGL — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:32:47 GMT

Hi @Caban,

Thanks for reaching out.

You can absolutely switch back to monthly billing at any time from your online account — it’s completely flexible. If you’re still experiencing any issues or have further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us directly here:
👉 http://agllink.co/6006UK1Ve

We’re here to help and want to make sure everything’s working smoothly for you.

SYED

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

diseydi — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 05:21:33 GMT

I received the same email and was disgusted and I imagine the real reason is the extra money for admin costs that doing monthly would accrue their way. No way for this old chook. I went on to My Account and changed it back to quarterly so I'll watch and see what happens.

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

Lester — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 06:41:09 GMT

@diseydi I imagine cashflow reasons would be high on the list too.

Plus thinking deeper, power prices are getting that high now that people on quarterly that are struggling might find it hard to come up with 3 months of usage budget wise, better for those customers to perhaps go monthly.

Re: Just been told they are moving me to monthly billing - I want to stay on quarterly.

lilacgerry — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 03:29:48 GMT

Australia, energy companies are heavily regulated regarding how they manage your account, and they are required to inform you of changes to your contract, which includes the billing cycle

Requirements for billing cycle changes in Australia (under the National Energy Customer Framework, covering NSW, SA, ACT, TAS, and QLD):

Advance Notice of Changes: Retailers must let you know if they change your contract, which includes the terms regarding how and when you are billed.
Explicit Informed Consent: If a retailer wants to change your billing cycle—for example, moving you from quarterly to monthly billing—they are supposed to obtain your explicit informed consent.
Maximum Billing Period: Retailers must issue a bill at least once every 100 days.
Bill Content Requirements: Any changes to your bill, including the frequency, should be communicated clearly.
Pro-rata Billing: If a billing cycle changes, your energy usage will be "pro-rata" calculated to ensure you are charged correctly for the time spent on each rate.

What to do if your billing cycle changed without notice:
If your provider changed your billing cycle (e.g., to monthly) without your consent, you should:

Change it back under your account settings If you did not consent and dont like the change
Contact your retailer directly to voice your objection if you cant do this on your own and ask them to switch you back to your previous schedule.
Contact your state's energy ombudsman if the company does not resolve the issue, as this may be a breach of their obligation