Synergy is Australia’s top energy retailer for customers in hardship – A look at how FWC and Synergy collaborate to support West Aussies doing it tough.
A Win for WA Households
A recently released Rank the Energy Retailer 2025 Report highlights how energy retailers across Australia are supporting customers in financial hardship. Compiled by Financial Counselling Victoria in partnership with Energy Consumers Australia (ECA), Financial Counselling Australia (FCA), and the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC), the report was informed by feedback from 400 Financial Counsellors nationwide.
Retailers were assessed on key criteria including access to hardship teams, communication, customer outcomes, and proactive support. These insights reflect the experiences of financial counsellors working directly with clients facing mounting energy debt, cost-of-living pressures, and personal challenges that often leave them feeling overwhelmed and helpless.
WA’s Synergy emerged as Australia’s top-ranked energy retailer, scoring an impressive 86 – a staggering 28 points ahead of its nearest competitor and an extraordinary 116 points clear of the lowest-ranked provider, which fell to -30.
So, what sets Synergy apart?
“Synergy have a great hardship program which focuses more on the client being able to afford what they are committing to, instead of focusing purely on usage and repayment of overdue bills.”
— Financial Counsellor, WA
A Partnership Built on Purpose
The Financial Wellbeing Collective (FWC) is a collaboration of 12 partner organisations united to reduce the drivers and impacts of financial vulnerability in Western Australia. Through direct support and community engagement, FWC helps people in financial difficulty build resilience and financial wellbeing.
FWC has a longstanding relationship with Synergy and its case management team, working together to ensure clients are treated with respect, empathy, and dignity. This partnership has been pivotal in shaping Synergy’s approach to hardship support.
Spotlight on the Energy Ahead Program
One of Synergy’s key initiatives is the Energy Ahead program—funded by the Western Australian Climate Policy and delivered by the Financial Wellbeing Collective. Energy Ahead provides free in-home and virtual support to help households reduce energy consumption and save money through small, manageable changes to appliances and habits.
Since its launch in 2023, Energy Ahead has supported over 3,000 households, improving energy literacy and empowering people to take control of their energy use and bills. Synergy’s support and high output of referrals has been vital to the program’s success, with hardship and customer service teams trained to understand Energy Ahead and the importance of early intervention in preventing deeper financial distress.
The report highlights a concerning trend – the number of customers experiencing energy hardship has increased across the sector over the past two years. This underscores the importance of collaborative initiatives like Energy Ahead, which provide early support before financial stress escalates. Even customers who aren’t formally classified as being in hardship—but are struggling to keep up with rising energy costs—can access free assistance through the program. This includes a personalised in-home energy audit conducted by a trained Energy Coach, who offers tailored advice and a customised action plan to help reduce energy usage and costs. To kickstart their journey, customers also receive $100 worth of energy-efficient items, helping ease the burden of relying on high-cost appliances and empowering them to make lasting changes.
This collaboration has helped shape how Synergy responds to missed payments, debt arrears, and customer hardship—ensuring that support is timely, compassionate, and effective.
Listening, Learning, Leading: Synergy’s Approach
Synergy’s close working relationship with financial counsellors in WA is a cornerstone of its success. Their empathetic customer service and proactive support have earned the respect of financial counsellors and clients alike. By having open communication and a good understanding of services offered by not-for-profits, Synergy’s hardship team are able to easily refer clients to:
- Energy Ahead
- Hardship Utility Grant Scheme
- Financial Counselling
- Emergency Relief and Food Access Service
A Financial Counsellor from WA described a good hardship response from an energy retailer as “One that offers proactive, flexible, and compassionate support, including tailored payment plans, fee waivers, energy efficiency advice, and direct referrals to financial counsellors to prevent further financial distress.”
Looking Ahead: A Model for Energy Equity
Synergy’s top ranking in the 2025 report is more than a badge of honour – it’s a reflection of what’s possible when empathy, collaboration, and innovation come together to support those most in need. Through its partnership with the Financial Wellbeing Collective, Synergy is setting a benchmark for how energy retailers can play a meaningful role in addressing financial hardship and vulnerability.
As cost-of-living pressures continue to affect households across Western Australia, programs like Energy Ahead offer not just practical support, but hope. We encourage continued investment in these initiatives and invite other retailers to follow Synergy’s lead in building respectful, responsive relationships with financial counsellors and the communities they service.
If you or someone you know needs support with your Energy bill – there is free support to help. Contact Energy Ahead on (08) 6253 3500 or energyahead@thefwc.org.au
