We've found that some retailers actively block applications from customers who reveal they are Bill Hero subscribers while talking to a sales rep on the phone or by using their Bill Hero forwarding address when signing up online.
Here's everything you need to know about what is happening, and what you can do about it.
How to avoid getting blocked
When signing up with a retailer that is attempting to block Bill Hero, we recommend that you do not mention Bill Hero on the phone, or if you are signing up online, you should sign up using the alternative email forwarding address displayed by Bill Hero, not the billhero.com.au address that you may already be familiar with. This way, the retailer will not know that you're a Bill Hero subscriber, and will not block you.
How will I know if my chosen retailer is attempting to block Bill Hero?
In the 'How to Switch' panel on the Deal Details pages for every plan, we display the email forwarding address to use if you want to enable automated bill monitoring but want to sign up to the new retailer yourself.
Our standard email forwarding addresses use the billhero.com.au email domain. For those retailers that have adopted this anti-competitive strategy Bill Hero will display an alternative email address.
How can I still use email forwarding with a blocked retailer?
There are three ways to use email forwarding, even with a retailer that wants to block Bill Hero:
Sign up using the alternative forwarding address that Bill Hero will display in the 'How to Switch' panel on the details page for your chosen plan. We've set up several alternative email domains that provide the same functionality but do not include the words Bill Hero in the domain name.
Sign up using your personal email address. After the onboarding is complete, instruct the retailer to update your account details and use your Bill Hero email forwarding address. It's too late for them to reject your application after you've completed the onboarding process.
Use the Bill Hero 'Do It For Me' process. We can complete the signup for you, including email forwarding, by using a different and anonymous email address domain that functions the same as your
billhero.com.auemail forwarding address but does not include Bill Hero in the domain name, so it's not recognisable to the retailer.
What happens if a retailer blocks me?
If you attempt to sign up using your Bill Hero address with a retailer that is blocking Bill Hero, the retailer may refuse to accept your application. In our experience, they usually present a generic rejection message that does not specify why they are refusing the application.
Some retailers have told our subscribers there are technical barriers to using the Bill Hero email address. This is absolutely not true. Your billhero.com.au email forwarding address is a completely standard email address, every bit as valid as a gmail.com, outlook.com, yahoo.com or any other mainstream email address.
Why would a retailer block Bill Hero subscribers?
We see retailers attempting to block our service as a badge of honour. It makes us think we’re moving the needle on supporting the interests of energy consumers when the energy retailers start actively trying to avoid us.
You have to wonder why any retailer would be motivated to block Bill Hero subscribers if they genuinely are committed to delivering competitive pricing for their customers over the long haul.
The obvious and only answer is that these retailers are not committed to sustained competitive pricing over the long haul.
Their strategy is to lure new customers in with genuinely competitve 'acquisition pricing' but then increase their prices as quickly as possible, in an accelerated version of the familiar old Loyalty Tax.
They know that Bill Hero subscribers will catch them out and switch away immediately because Bill Hero automatically does the tedious work of checking every bill against the full market of alternatives on every billing cycle.
Our service reinforces when a competitively priced retailer is doing a good job for its customers and immediately reveals when it is trying to gouge them.
Any retailer with a 'hockey stick' pricing strategy will hate this.
ℹ️ What to do if your application is rejected
You can ask the retailer for details on why they're refused your application. They can sometimes be quite revealing.
However, the baseline reality is that all energy plan signups are applications, and the retailer can reject any application for any reason they choose.
Our general advice if you find that your chosen retailer won't accept your application is to look to the next-ranked plan in your results.