Is this bill or text from Red Energy a scam?
No. Red Energy is a legitimate Australian electricity and gas retailer, owned by Snowy Hydro. The scripts used against energy customers (an overdue bill, a same-day cut-off, a refund to claim) work with any retailer's name, so check an unexpected Red Energy message in the Red Energy app or on 131 806 before you act. The good news: a few quick checks almost always tell a real Red Energy message from a fake.
Genuine Red Energy links lead to redenergy.com.au — but a link can be made to look real, so don't go by the link alone. Below is how genuine Red Energy contact usually works, the scams commonly run in its name, the red flags that give a fake away, and an example to compare against. Got a message in front of you? Check it now for an instant verdict.
What a real Red Energy message looks like
Genuine messages from Red Energy link to redenergy.com.au. Treat a link to any other address as a warning sign.
- Red Energy bills can be viewed and paid in the Red Energy app and MyAccount, so any genuine bill or overdue balance can be checked there before you act on a message
- Red Energy's listed customer number is 131 806 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8:30pm, Saturday 9am to 5:30pm AEST/AEDT); use it, or the number on a real Red Energy bill, rather than any number in a message
- Genuine links lead to redenergy.com.au, including the MyAccount login at myaccount.redenergy.com.au, but a link can be made to look real, so open the app or type the address yourself
What a genuine Red Energy contact shouldn't do
- Threaten same-day disconnection unless you pay immediately through a link in a message; no legitimate energy retailer works that way
- Ask you to pay a bill with gift or store cards, iTunes cards, wire transfers or Bitcoin; the Australian Energy Regulator's Energy Made Easy site says no trusted business will
Common Red Energy scams
- Fake overdue-bill texts or emails written to look like they come from your energy retailer, which can just as easily carry Red Energy's name, quoting a balance and pushing a pay-now link or a callback number
- Disconnection threats that give hours, not days, to pay through a link or over the phone
- Refund, credit or rebate bait that asks you to 'claim' money through a link, then collects your card or bank details
- Fake plan-change or price-rise notices that ask for your login or card details to 'lock in' your current rate
Red flags to watch for
- A link or callback number in the message instead of a prompt to check your account yourself
- A same-day disconnection threat, or a deadline measured in hours
- A request to reply with card, bank or login details by text or email; Red Energy's own security page notes that email is not secure
- A refund, credit or rebate you have to 'claim' through a link
- Payment by gift cards, vouchers, wire transfer or cryptocurrency
- A text marked 'Unverified' at the top; ACMA says it could be a scam or a real business that hasn't registered its sender ID, so check it carefully either way
Red Energy scam examples
These composed examples show how scams impersonating Red Energy typically read, with the tells that give each one away. Compare them against anything you've received.
Red Energy: Your electricity account is overdue and supply will be interrupted at 4pm today. To keep your power on, settle the balance now at red-energy-billpay[.]example or call 1300 000 000.
What gives it away:
- The link isn't redenergy.com.au and the number isn't Red Energy's listed 131 806; check your balance in the Red Energy app instead
- A same-afternoon cut-off is designed to stop you checking; no legitimate energy retailer threatens same-day disconnection through a link in a text
- It names no account or bill you could match, so the only way to test it is to open your own account, which is exactly what it hopes you'll skip
Subject: You're owed a credit. Our records show you overpaid your last Red Energy bill. To receive your refund of $94.20, confirm your card details at redenergy-refunds[.]example/claim before Friday.
What gives it away:
- A refund you have to claim through a link is bait; a genuine credit would show on your account when you log in to the Red Energy app or MyAccount
- Typing in your card details to 'receive' money is backwards: the page exists to collect your card number
- The address is a lookalike, not redenergy.com.au
A page at red-energy-plans[.]example says your current plan is ending and your rates will rise from next month unless you 'lock in' your price today by entering your MyAccount password and card number.
What gives it away:
- No plan change needs you to type your password and card number into a page someone sent you; sign in to MyAccount or the app yourself to see your real plan
- A same-day deadline to avoid a price rise is manufactured urgency
- The address isn't redenergy.com.au, however closely the page copies Red Energy's look
Not sure about your message?
Paste the suspicious Red Energy text or email and get an instant scam verdict, free.
How to verify a message from Red Energy
Red Energy's real website is redenergy.com.au and its listed phone number is 131 806; the official app is the Red Energy app. Reach Red Energy through those channels, never through the details inside a message you're unsure about.
- Don't tap the link, reply, or call any number in the message
- Open the Red Energy app, or log in to MyAccount from redenergy.com.au, and check your bills and balance there
- Still unsure? Call Red Energy on 131 806 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8:30pm, Saturday 9am to 5:30pm AEST/AEDT) or the number on a real Red Energy bill
- If your account shows nothing that matches, report the message to Scamwatch (link below)
If you have been scammed in Red Energy's name
Clicked the link, paid, or shared details? Act now. The first hour matters more than anything else you do later.
- If you paid or shared card or bank details, call your bank straight away to block the card and dispute the payment
- Change your MyAccount password by typing redenergy.com.au yourself, and change it anywhere else you reused it
- Call Red Energy on 131 806 so it can check your account for changes you didn't make
- If you shared identity details such as your date of birth or licence, contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity support
- Report the scam to Scamwatch and ReportCyber using the links below, and forward scam texts to 7226 so carriers can block the sender
Where to report a scam impersonating Red Energy
Received — or fell for — a message impersonating Red Energy? Report it. It helps authorities and carriers shut the campaign down for everyone who gets the next one.
- Scamwatch — Report the scam to the ACCC's national scam service.
- ReportCyber — Report cybercrime and financial loss to the police.
- ACMA — Complain about scam texts and spam SMS, email or calls.
- Forward to 7226 (SCAM) — Forward the scam SMS to short code 7226 so carriers can block the source.
- IDCARE — Free identity and cyber support if your details were taken.
Red Energy scam activity in 2026
Energy-bill scams in 2026 follow scripts that work with any retailer's name, Red Energy's included: overdue balances with same-day cut-off threats, refunds or credits you must 'claim', plan-change notices that want your password to 'lock in' a price, and texts that copy genuine payment-plan wording to sound official. Since 1 July 2026, ACMA's SMS Sender ID Register means a text from an unregistered brand name shows as 'Unverified', which is a useful prompt to slow down but not a verdict either way, and texts from ordinary mobile numbers aren't covered at all. Whatever the message says, the check is the same: open the Red Energy app or MyAccount, or call 131 806, and look for the bill yourself.
Frequently asked questions
I got a text saying my Red Energy bill is overdue and my power will be cut off today. Is it real?
Check before you act. Don't use the link or number in the text: open the Red Energy app or MyAccount, or call Red Energy on 131 806, and see whether anything is actually overdue. A same-day disconnection threat that asks you to pay through a link is a classic scam pattern; no legitimate energy retailer works that way.
What is Red Energy's real phone number and website?
Red Energy's listed number is 131 806 and its website is redenergy.com.au, with account logins through MyAccount and the Red Energy app. Use those, or the number on a real Red Energy bill, rather than any contact details inside a message you're unsure about.
A message says Red Energy owes me a refund. Should I click the link to claim it?
No. A refund or credit you have to claim through a link, especially one that asks for your card details, is a common scam hook. A genuine credit would show on your account, so log in to the Red Energy app or MyAccount yourself to check.
What should I do if I gave my details to a fake Red Energy message?
Call your bank first to block the card and dispute any payment, then change your MyAccount password and call Red Energy on 131 806 so it can check your account. If you shared identity documents, contact IDCARE for free support, and report the scam to Scamwatch.
How do I report a Red Energy scam text or email?
Call Red Energy on 131 806 so it knows its name is being used, report the message to Scamwatch at scamwatch.gov.au, and forward scam texts to 7226 (spells SCAM) so carriers can block the sender. If you lost money, also report it to ReportCyber at cyber.gov.au.
Scam message examples
Related scam types
Scams impersonating Red Energy usually fit one of these patterns. Learn how each works:
Related brands
Other utility names scammers impersonate — check a message from one:
Sources
- Contact Red Energy (Red Energy)
- Getting text messages from businesses and organisations (Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA))
- Ask yourself: is this for real? Be scam aware (Energy Made Easy (Australian Energy Regulator))
- Text or SMS scams (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
- Report a scam (Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre))
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice — always verify with Red Energy through an official channel.