RateShield is an ongoing, customer-requested electricity and gas plan monitoring and notification service provided by BearChoice.RateShield uses the invoices and information you provide to periodically assess whether an available electricity or gas plan may offer you a better overall financial outcome.

To join RateShield, you must:* be the account holder or be authorised to provide information and make enquiries concerning the relevant account;* provide complete and accurate contact, property and account information; and* provide the invoices required to complete your enrolment.BearChoice may decline, suspend or end your membership if we cannot provide the service, if required information is incomplete or inaccurate, or we reasonably believe the service is being misused.

You authorise BearChoice to use the information contained in your uploaded invoices, together with available retailer offers, tariffs, charges, discounts, incentives and other relevant market information, to periodically assess whether a potentially better electricity or gas plan may be available.Reviews are periodic rather than continuous and are not guaranteed to occur at a fixed interval.BearChoice may send operational communications necessary to provide RateShield, including:* confirmation of your enrolment;* requests for missing or updated invoices or information;* service, security, suspension or cancellation notices; and* notification that a potentially better plan has been identified.Except for necessary operational communications, BearChoice will contact you under RateShield about an energy offer only when it has identified an available plan that it reasonably estimates may provide a better overall financial outcome than your existing plan.BearChoice will not contact you under RateShield merely to advise that no better plan has been identified.

By joining RateShield, you voluntarily request that BearChoice provide you with an ongoing electricity and gas plan monitoring service.You acknowledge that you are initiating and requesting this service. Communications sent by BearChoice to administer RateShield or notify you of a potentially better plan are made in response to your ongoing request.This authority remains in effect until you withdraw it.

To complete your RateShield enrolment, you must send copies of your most recent electricity and gas invoice.If your property does not have a gas connection, only your most recent electricity invoice is required. If BearChoice is monitoring only one applicable energy service for you, we will tell you which invoice is required.Your enrolment is not complete until BearChoice has received the required invoice or invoices.You confirm that the invoices and information you provide are current and accurate to the best of your knowledge.You must provide updated invoices or account information if your property, usage, tariff, meter, solar system, battery system or energy arrangements materially change.You remain responsible for checking your bills, paying providers on time and notifying BearChoice if your contact or account details change.

A potentially better plan may be assessed by considering its estimated overall cost and value, including:usage rates;daily supply charges;controlled-load rates;demand charges;solar feed-in tariffs;discounts and credits;incentives;applicable fees;contract conditions; andother relevant benefits or costs.The assessment is based on your supplied invoices, available market information and assumptions about future usage.Results depend on factors including your location, network, meter, usage, tariff, eligibility and the offers available to and considered by BearChoice at the time.BearChoice does not compare every provider or every offer available in the market. Any estimated saving or financial outcome is indicative only. We cannot guarantee that an offer will be the cheapest option for you, or that any estimated saving will be achieved.

If BearChoice identifies a potentially better plan, we may contact you by telephone, email or SMS using the details you provided.We may provide information about the relevant retailer, rates, supply charges, fees, discounts, benefits, conditions and estimated financial outcome for your consideration.You may change your communication preferences or withdraw from RateShield at any time without charge.

Joining RateShield does not authorise BearChoice or any energy retailer to transfer your electricity or gas account automatically.Before any switch is completed, you will be provided with the applicable pricing information. You must separately review the offer and provide any authority and consent required for that particular switch.No retailer transfer or new energy agreement will be completed solely because you joined RateShield.The terms of the retailer you select will apply to the energy service you accept.

RateShield is currently provided without a membership fee.BearChoice will introduce a paid version of RateShield in the future. If this occurs, you will not be charged or automatically moved to a paid subscription.We will provide clear advance notice of the proposed price and applicable terms only to new members.

BearChoice collects your contact, property, account, invoice and usage information to:provide and administer RateShield;communicate with you;assess available energy options;maintain service and consent records; andcomply with applicable legal obligations.We may disclose information where reasonably necessary to service providers, comparison partners, energy retailers or other providers involved in providing a service you request.Our Privacy Policy explains how BearChoice handles personal information, how you can request access or correction, and how you can make a privacy complaint.

You may withdraw your RateShield request or cancel your membership at any time without charge by:emailing: info@bearchoice.com.au orcalling: 03 7058 0183Withdrawal ends future RateShield monitoring and communications after your request has been processed. It does not cancel or affect an energy agreement you have separately accepted with a retailer.BearChoice may suspend or end RateShield on reasonable notice, or immediately where required by law, fraud is suspected or the service is misused.

RateShield service communications are limited to communications reasonably necessary to administer the service or respond to your ongoing monitoring request.Consent to receive unrelated news, promotions or marketing from BearChoice is optional and must be obtained separately.You may unsubscribe from optional marketing without cancelling RateShield.

BearChoice may update these terms to reflect changes to RateShield, our systems or applicable law.If a change materially reduces your rights or introduces a fee, we will provide advance notice and obtain further agreement where required before that change applies to you.

Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded, including applicable rights under the Australian Consumer Law.To the extent permitted by law, BearChoice is not responsible for retailer decisions, market changes, inaccurate or outdated information supplied to us, or indirect or consequential loss.

Questions, withdrawals, cancellations and complaints may be directed to:BearChoiceEmail: info@bearchoice.com.auPhone: 03 7058 0183Website: www.bearchoice.com.auWe will take reasonable steps to respond to and resolve concerns promptly.These terms are governed by the laws of Victoria, Australia.