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Average electricity bill for a 4 person household

By Last reviewed

A 4-person home in Sydney uses about 20 kWh a day (AER benchmark). On the Ausgrid default market offer that is about $754 a quarter, $252 a month or $3,026 a year. The regulator's own typical bill for Ausgrid is $1,899 a year at 3,900 kWh. This is a price cap. Most homes are not on it. At 30 June 2025 the median market plan was 2.5% to 9.5% cheaper in NSW, south-east Queensland and SA (AER).

Your home

Your network is on your bill. Each option starts with the state.

91 is a quarter.

Between 1 and 400

From your bill's average daily use. Solar homes: use what you buy from the grid.

Between 0.5 and 200

Advanced settings
Advanced

Empty: the network's regulated rate.

Between 1 and 150

Between 0 and 1,000

Between 0 and 100

Type your controlled load rate. Between 1 and 100.

Between 0 and 200

Between 0 and 100

See result ↓

Your result

Your estimated bill

$754

for 91 days

A month
$252
A year
$3,026
Usage
$603.10
Supply
$151.27
Supply share
20%
A day
$8.29

The rates behind it

Power used
20 kWh a day (AER benchmark)
Usage rate
33.14c/kWh
Supply charge
166.23c a day

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Regulated priceThis is a price cap. Most homes are not on it. At 30 June 2025 the median market plan was 2.5% to 9.5% cheaper in NSW, south-east Queensland and SA (AER).

On time of use?See if it is cheaper.

BenchmarkAER benchmark for a 4-person home in Sydney: 20 kWh a day (2019 grid use)

Your networkThe average home on Ausgrid used 14.3 kWh a day in 2024-25 (AER).

RegulatorThe regulator's typical Ausgrid bill is $1,899 a year at 3,900 kWh.

How we calculated this

  • Usage is the daily kWh times the days in the bill times the usage rate.
  • The supply charge is a fixed amount for every day of the bill.
  • Off-peak hot water is added and the solar export credit is taken off. All rates include GST.

Full method, tables and sources: Electricity bill calculator

  1. Usage

    20 kWh a day (AER benchmark) × 91 days × 33.14c/kWh = $603.10

  2. Supply charge

    91 days × 166.23c = $151.27

  3. Off-peak hot water and solar

    Controlled load kWh × days × its own rate, less solar exports × days × the feed-in tariff. Both are 0 unless you add them under Advanced settings.

  4. Your bill

    $754 for 91 days

This version starts with a 4-person home on Ausgrid. The table shows a 4-person home in every capital.

4-person household: what to know

Official source

  • For 4 people, daily use runs from 15.9 kWh in Melbourne to 29.6 kWh in Hobart (AER benchmark, Synergy averages for Perth).

Estimate

  • At regulated prices a 4-person home pays the most in Canberra ($4,010 a year) and the least in Melbourne ($1,949).
4 people in every capital, regulated prices. Perth: Estimate
CityNetworkkWh a dayA quarterA year
SydneyAusgrid20$754$3,026
MelbourneCitiPower15.9$486$1,949
BrisbaneEnergex21$709$2,845
AdelaideSA Power Networks19.3$900$3,610
PerthSynergy16.6$611$2,451
CanberraEvoenergy26.1$1,000$4,010
HobartAurora Tariff 3129.6$906$3,632
A year of power by household size in every capital, 2026-27 regulated prices. Perth: Estimate
City3 people4 people5 or more people
Sydney$2,711$3,026$3,594
Melbourne$1,759$1,949$2,347
Brisbane$2,426$2,845$3,162
Adelaide$3,212$3,610$4,313
Perth$2,390$2,451$2,451
Canberra$3,349$4,010$4,240
Hobart$3,265$3,632$3,846
  • At regulated prices, from 3 people to 4 people a year costs $61 more in Perth, the smallest step, and $661 more in Canberra, the biggest.
  • At regulated prices, from 4 people to 5 or more people a year costs the same in Perth, where our daily use figure is the same for both sizes. In the other capitals it costs $214 more in Hobart, the smallest step, and $703 more in Adelaide, the biggest.
  • Twice the people is not twice the bill. At regulated prices a 4-person home pays 15% more than a 2-person home in Melbourne and 46% more in Canberra, the two ends of the 7 capitals. It uses less than twice the power in every one of them (in Sydney, 20 kWh a day against 14.3), and the supply charge is the same for both homes.

Each figure is a whole year on the capital's flat regulated price for 2026-27 (Official source), at the daily use for that household size, with no off-peak hot water and no solar exports. Daily use: AER benchmark, Synergy average for Perth (Official source, Estimate for Perth).

Any network, household or bill length: use the main electricity bill calculator.