Electricity bill calculator: what does a home like yours pay?
By Sithum Imarsha Last reviewed
A 2-person home in Sydney uses about 14.3 kWh a day (AER benchmark). On the Ausgrid default market offer that is about $582 a quarter, $195 a month or $2,336 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 result
Your estimated bill
$582
for 91 days
- A month
- $195
- A year
- $2,336
- Usage
- $431.21
- Supply
- $151.27
- Off-peak hot water
- Solar credit
- Supply share
- 26%
- A day
- $6.40
The rates behind it
- Power used
- 14.3 kWh a day (AER benchmark)
- Usage rate
- 33.14c/kWh
- Supply charge
- 166.23c a day
- Off-peak hot water rate
- Feed-in rate
Fix the highlighted field to update.
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 2-person home in Sydney: 14.3 kWh a day (2019 grid use)
Hot water
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.
Billing
How we calculated this
Usage
Daily use × days × the usage rate. With the daily-use field empty we use the benchmark for your city and household, less any off-peak hot water already inside it.
14.3 kWh a day (AER benchmark) × 91 days × 33.14c/kWh = $431.21
Supply charge
A fixed charge for every day of the bill, whatever you use.
91 days × 166.23c = $151.27
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.
Hot water Solar credit
Your bill
Usage + supply + hot water − solar credit. All rates include GST.
$582 for 91 days
| City | Network | kWh a day | A quarter | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Ausgrid | 14.3 | $582 | $2,336 |
| Melbourne | CitiPower | 13.3 | $424 | $1,702 |
| Brisbane | Energex | 14 | $531 | $2,130 |
| Adelaide | SA Power Networks | 13.8 | $690 | $2,768 |
| Perth | Synergy | 12.8 | $496 | $1,989 |
| Canberra | Evoenergy | 16.7 | $684 | $2,742 |
| Hobart | Aurora Tariff 31 | 24.1 | $766 | $3,071 |
| Network | Offer | Supply (c/day) | Usage (c/kWh) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW: Ausgrid (Sydney, Central Coast, Hunter) | Default market offer | 166.2289 | 33.1372 | Official source |
| NSW: Endeavour Energy (western Sydney, Illawarra, Blue Mountains) | Default market offer | 185.135 | 33.7273 | Official source |
| NSW: Essential Energy (regional NSW) | Default market offer | 272.2168 | 35.0054 | Official source |
| VIC: AusNet Services (outer east Victoria) | Victorian Default Offer | 128.24 | 31.98 | Official source |
| VIC: CitiPower (inner Melbourne) | Victorian Default Offer | 121.14 | 25.96 | Official source |
| VIC: Jemena (north-west Melbourne) | Victorian Default Offer | 127.13 | 27.47 | Official source |
| VIC: Powercor (west Victoria) | Victorian Default Offer | 138.05 | 28.22 | Official source |
| VIC: United Energy (south-east Melbourne) | Victorian Default Offer | 119.12 | 27.35 | Official source |
| QLD: Energex (Brisbane, south-east Queensland) | Default market offer | 192.0159 | 27.9744 | Official source |
| QLD: Ergon Energy (regional Queensland) | QCA notified price | 180.5078 | 28.8948 | Official source |
| SA: SA Power Networks (Adelaide and all of SA) | Default market offer | 180.0512 | 41.9103 | Official source |
| WA: Synergy (Perth and the south-west) | Synergy regulated tariff | 119.24 | 33.2621 | Official source |
| TAS: Aurora Tariff 31 (flat, closed to new homes) | Aurora standing offer | 167.6815 | 27.9538 | Official source |
| TAS: Aurora Tariff 32 (flat, single rate) | Aurora standing offer | 182 | 24.75 | Official source |
| ACT: Evoenergy (ActewAGL, Canberra) | ActewAGL standing offer | 134.2 | 36.9536 | Official source |
| State | Controlled load | Status | Feed-in | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 19.12c (Ausgrid) | Dated third-party source | 5c | Estimate |
| VIC | 17.26c (United Energy) | Official source | 3c | Estimate |
| QLD | 16.27c (Energex) | Dated third-party source | 5c | Estimate |
| QLD regional (Ergon) | 16.66c (Ergon Energy) | Official source | 6.006c | Official source |
| SA | 22.03c (SA Power Networks) | Dated third-party source | 5c | Estimate |
| WA | Synergy has no controlled-load plan for new customers. Type your rate, or use your A1 rate. | 3c | Estimate | |
| TAS | 21.12c (Aurora Energy) | Official source | 9.276c | Official source |
| ACT | 27.78c (Evoenergy) | Official source | 5c | Estimate |
Tariff 31 (controlled load, night) on Ergon Energy: 16.66c a kWh from 1 July 2026. Source: QCA Gazette No. 29 (5 June 2026), notified prices from 1 July 2026: tariff 31 is 15.148c a kWh before GST; GST step: ex-GST price × 1.1 (Official source). Checked 23 September 2026.
| Figure | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Daily use by household size | Official source | AER electricity consumption benchmarks 2020 (Frontier Economics), 2019 grid use, summed by season (AER workbook, Wayback copy, 19 Nov 2025) |
| Perth daily use, 1 and 2 people | Official source | Derived from Synergy's average 60-day bills by household type, A1 customers FY2023-24 (Synergy blog, Wayback copy, 2 Apr 2025): singles for 1 person, couples for 2 |
| Perth daily use, 3 to 5+ people | Estimate | Synergy's more than two adults for 3 people and families for 4 and 5+, from the same bills. Our mapping of household types to people |
| Daily use on Essential Energy, Ergon Energy, AusNet Services and Powercor | Estimate | The capital-city benchmark for the state |
The AER benchmark is 2019 grid use, before most electric cars and heat pumps. To add an electric car, use the EV charging cost calculator.
Sources
- AER: DMO 8 final determination 2026–27, Appendix C (read via a Wayback copy)
- AER: DMO 2026–27 information kit, reference bills (read via a Wayback copy)
- AER: Annual retail markets report 2024–25, Table A2.1 (read via a Wayback copy)
- ESC: Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 final decision paper
- ESC: Victorian Default Offer 2026–27 price determination
- CitiPower and Powercor: residential network tariffs fact sheet
- Ausgrid: ES7 network price guide (read via a Wayback copy)
- Endeavour Energy: network price list 2024–25
- Essential Energy: network price list 2025–26
- SA Power Networks: tariff structure statement Part A (read via a Wayback copy)
- QCA: Gazette No. 29, notified prices from 1 July 2026
- QCA: regional Queensland prices 2026–27, final determination
- ActewAGL: ACT standard electricity prices from 1 July 2026
- Aurora Energy: 2026–27 standing offer tariff schedule
- WA legislation: Synergy charges amendment by-laws 2026 (SL 2026/140)
- Synergy: average electricity bill by household type (read via the Wayback Machine, 2 April 2025)
- Economic Regulation Authority WA: can I choose my retailer?
- positiveenergy: Synergy A1 vs Midday Saver vs EV Add-On
- BillWise: Synergy July 2026 tariff increase
- NSW Government: public holidays
- PM&C: National Energy Retail Amendment (Accelerating smart meter deployment) Rule 2024
- Energy Made Easy: retail plan data (GloBird ZEROHERO)
- AER: Electricity and gas consumption benchmarks for residential customers 2020
- Ausgrid: Solar home electricity data 2012-13 (archived copy)
- Nectr: July 1 2026 rate update
- AER: DMO 2026–27 determination, controlled load tariff caps (Federal Register of Legislation, F2026L00643)
- ESC VDO: Victorian Default Offer
- Aurora Energy: residential prices
- Ausgrid: controlled load pricing
- Canstar: controlled load rates (9 Jan 2026, before the July reset)
- Canstar: electricity cost per kWh
- EnergyPlans: solar feed-in tariffs July 2026
- OTTER: Tasmanian feed-in tariffs
Questions
What is the average electricity bill in Australia?
At 2026-27 regulated prices, a 2-person home pays from about $1,702 a year in Melbourne to $3,071 in Hobart, on each capital's AER benchmark (the Synergy average for Perth). That is $424 to $766 a quarter. Most homes on a market plan pay less.
Why is this more than survey averages?
Surveys ask people what they paid. Most of them are on market plans that cost less than the default offer, many have solar, and many pay a cheaper rate for off-peak hot water. This page shows the default offer price for a typical home, not what people pay.
What is the daily supply charge?
A fixed charge for every day you are connected, whatever you use. At 2026-27 regulated prices it runs from 119.12c a day (United Energy) to 272.22c (Essential Energy). That is $108 to $248 a quarter before you use any power.
How much electricity does a home use a day?
The AER benchmark for Sydney runs from 8.5 kWh a day for 1 person to 24.7 kWh for 5 or more (2019 grid use). Pick your city and household above, or type the average daily use from your bill.
Do bills change with the seasons?
Yes. The benchmark is a yearly average, so a winter or summer bill can be well above this estimate and a spring bill below it. The swing is biggest in Canberra and Hobart, where many homes heat with electricity.
Is there a government energy bill credit?
No federal credit applies in 2026-27: the Energy Bill Relief Fund has ended (energy.gov.au). States have their own concessions for some households. They are not in this estimate.
I have solar panels. What do I type?
Type the average daily use on your bill: that is what you buy from the grid. The benchmark is grid use too. Add your exports under Advanced settings to take off the feed-in credit.
I am on a time of use plan. Is this right?
This is a flat-rate estimate. For a typical home the default time of use offer comes out close to the flat one, but a home that uses a lot of power in the evening peak pays more on time of use.
Which tariff do I pick in Tasmania?
Pick "TAS: Aurora Tariff 31 (flat, closed to new homes)" if you are on the old flat tariff. It is closed to new homes. New homes get the single rate, "TAS: Aurora Tariff 32 (flat, single rate)", or time of use.