Clients ask what happens with power and gas on settlement day, often more than once, and the answer is never billable.
Here is how the conveyancer referral program works, what it earns, the admin it adds and how disclosure fits your licensing obligations.
20+ retailers and providers compared for every client you refer
The conveyancer referral program fits between unconditional and settlement: one link in your pre-settlement email, and we connect the buyer's services for settlement day.
The window between a contract going unconditional and settlement is typically 30 to 42 days, which is exactly the lead time a connection needs. One line in your standard pre-settlement email hands the client to a specialist who arranges electricity and gas connected for settlement, with internet booked alongside it if the buyer wants it live on the very first day in their new home.
It fits the conveyancer client handover you already run. Nothing is added to the file, no software is installed, and the client is contacted directly from there.
Settlement-day failures usually come from booking too late. Typical timeframes, which vary by state, retailer and distributor:
| Service | Typical lead time |
|---|---|
| Electricity, existing meter | 1 to 3 business days |
| Electricity, same day | Before the cut-off, a fee may apply |
| Gas | 2 to 5 business days |
| New meter | Up to a month via the distributor |
Your practice earns an agreed commission on each service that connects for a client you refer, paid monthly per completed connection.
A utility connection service for conveyancers pays on connections that complete, not on referrals made. The estimator works per settlement handled, with a conservative assumption about how many clients take it up.
Your client is never charged. Buyers pay only their chosen retailer's advertised rates, under the consumer protections overseen by the Australian Energy Regulator (checked September 2026), and the retailer funds the commission your practice receives.
Commission is itemised per client each month, so it reconciles cleanly against the matters it came from. The same commission basis applies across every partner type in the full partner program, whether your practice refers the occasional client or builds the link into every file for us to manage on your behalf.
The estimator at the top of this page treats each settlement as one move, assumes a conservative share connect, and applies two services at an indicative rate. Your real schedule comes in writing.
| What triggers payment | What does not | When it is paid |
|---|---|---|
| A connection that completes and stays active through the qualifying period | A referral that does not convert | Monthly with a statement per client |
| Each service connected (electricity, gas, internet) | A client who declines | Monthly |
| Both residential and commercial where applicable | A duplicate or test referral | Monthly |
Services we offer your clients
Removing a recurring, non-billable client question matters as much to a practice as the commission, and it protects settlement from avoidable delays.
Utility connections at settlement are one of the most common client questions in the final weeks of a matter, and one of the easiest to hand over.
The professional value is timing. Conveyancers see the settlement date early enough to prevent a connection problem, rather than hearing about it from an unhappy client afterwards.
Clients ask about power on settlement day in almost every matter. A settlement utility connection service turns that recurring question into a single line in an email you already send.
More than 20 retailers are compared rather than one provider pushed, so your recommendation holds up if a client checks it. Once the client chooses, we handle the electricity connection itself, including the retailer paperwork and the cut-off times, so nothing about the connection comes back to your practice or the client's file later.
You already answer this question for free. Referring it turns non-billable time into one of your conveyancer revenue streams, paid monthly and itemised per client.
Most settlement-day failures come from the slowest service, not the fastest, which is why the order of booking matters. We lodge gas first, because gas connection timing is usually two to five business days, and a brand-new meter can take the distributor up to a month to install.
Some clients like to plan around each step before settlement, especially buyers juggling a lease end or a sale of their own. A plain explanation of how long a connection actually takes in each state can be shared with the settlement email, so they know why booking at unconditional matters so much to their move.
An independent connection service compares more than 20 retailers for every property your clients settle on, rather than recommending one retailer's plans.
Some connection services recommended during a purchase are owned by an energy retailer, and say so in their disclaimers. Ask who owns the service your practice points clients to today, then see how the connection services compare on ownership, panel size, commission terms and whether the old address is disconnected in the same call to the client.
Independence also affects connection timing before settlement, because a service tied to one retailer cannot switch to the fastest option for a given address. Clients can test any recommendation against Energy Made Easy, the government comparison site run by the Australian Energy Regulator (checked September 2026).
| Feature | Independent | Retailer-owned |
|---|---|---|
| Compares across retailers | 20+ on the panel | Check their disclaimer |
| Owned by an energy retailer | No | Sometimes |
| Commission schedule in writing | Before you sign | Usually on request |
| Exclusivity required | None | Varies by agreement |
| Old address disconnected | Yes | Often not included |
Describes retailer-owned service models generally, not any single provider.
Is your current service owned by an energy retailer?
How many retailers does it compare per address?
Is the commission schedule in writing before you sign?
The same model across partner types
The selling agent sees the same unconditional date as you do, so a buyer can easily receive two referrals for one purchase. Look at how this works for real estate agencies, so the agency and the practice agree who sends the link and the buyer only ever hears from one connection service.
Buyers who finance through a broker are dealing with lender documents in the same weeks you are preparing for settlement. Reading how this works for mortgage brokers helps both advisers agree on timing, so the client receives one clear message about their connections rather than overlapping calls.
Interstate and remote purchasers often rely on a buyer's agent and a conveyancer they have never actually met in person. See how this works for buyer's agents, where connections are arranged for clients who cannot attend the property, and make sure the handover between the two of you is seamless.
A benefit for referring a client generally has to be disclosed under your licensing requirements, and the exact rules vary by state.
The arrangement in writing with the commission schedule, plus disclosure wording for your costs agreement.
Advise you on your obligations. This is general information, not legal advice.
Licensed conveyancers generally need to disclose a benefit received for referring a client, under their state licensing requirements and their costs agreement. In NSW, intermediaries who receive a commission or referral fee must take reasonable steps to make the consumer aware of the arrangement before acting on it, as NSW Fair Trading explains (checked September 2026).
Requirements differ between states, so confirm your position with your professional body. The Australian Institute of Conveyancers and its state divisions are the starting point on professional standards (checked September 2026).
A disclosed settlement day utility connection referral sits comfortably beside the other arrangements clients expect you to coordinate. This is general information, not legal advice.
We may receive a commission if you choose to connect your utilities through our referral partner. You are free to use any provider.Example disclosure line for your costs agreement or settlement email
Clients sometimes worry that connecting at a new address will add costs to an already expensive settlement. The service itself is free, and the guide to the fees a client can expect explains which connection charges come from the retailer or distributor, so there are no surprises on the first bill after they move in.
We call back within one business day. Nothing to sign to have that conversation.
Your clients will ask about power on settlement day either way. Add one line to the pre-settlement email and the call, the comparison and the booking are handled, with commission on each connection. Start with a single referral to Move-In Connect and see how it runs.
