Electricity cost per kWh calculator
By Sithum Imarsha Last reviewed
The mean of the state averages is 32c per kWh for usage, from 27.2c in Victoria to 41.5c in South Australia, before the daily supply charge. Your own price = (bill − supply charge) ÷ kWh. The example bill below works out at 34c/kWh for usage and 40c/kWh all-in.
Your result
Your usage price
34c/kWh
($600 − $90 supply) ÷ 1,500 kWh
- All-in price
- 40c/kWh
- Average
- 32c/kWh, Australian average
- You pay
- 2c/kWh above the average: $122 a year more at your use
- Supply charges
- $90
- Share of the bill
- 15%
- Use a day
- 16.7kWh
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Use your rate there. Type 34c/kWh in the rate field of the appliance, heater, aircon or EV calculator.
Fix the highlighted field to update.
How we calculated this
Add back solar credits
A feed-in credit lowers the bill, but it is income for your exports, not a cheaper price. So it goes back on top of the total.
$600 before credits
Take out the supply charge
The daily supply charge is paid whatever you use. Supply = cents a day × days ÷ 100.
100c × 90 days = $90No supply charge typed
Usage price per kWh
What is left is what you paid for the power itself. Usage price = (total − supply) ÷ kWh. This is the number to compare with other plans and to use in running cost calculators.
34c/kWh
All-in price per kWh
The whole bill ÷ kWh. It includes the supply charge, so it rises when you use less. Handy for "what does a kWh really cost me", but not for comparing plans.
40c/kWh
Against the average
Gap = your usage price − the average usage price. A year of it = gap × kWh a day × 365.
2c/kWh above 32c/kWhNeeds the supply charge
| State | Usage price | This bill's usage at this rate | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 33.1c | $497 | Dated third-party source | Canstar market average, 4 Sep 2026 (our mean of its Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy rows) |
| Victoria | 27.2c | $408 | Dated third-party source | Canstar market average, 4 Sep 2026 (our mean of its five Victorian network rows) |
| Queensland | 27.9c | $419 | Dated third-party source | Canstar market average, 4 Sep 2026 |
| South Australia | 41.5c | $623 | Dated third-party source | Canstar market average, 4 Sep 2026 |
| Western Australia | 33.2621c | $499 | Official source | Synergy A1 regulated tariff from 1 Jul 2026, 33.2621c/kWh (WA Energy Operators (Charges) Amendment By-laws 2026, SL 2026/140) |
| Tasmania | 28.8c | $432 | Dated third-party source | Canstar market average, 4 Sep 2026 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 32.1c | $482 | Dated third-party source | Canstar market average, 4 Sep 2026 |
| Australian average | 32c | our average of the seven | Mean of the states above |
These are flat usage rates, not your plan. Their sources: Canstar market average, 4 Sep 2026, except Western Australia (Synergy A1 regulated tariff from 1 Jul 2026). Time-of-use plans have several rates, so add up all the usage lines on your bill and use the result above. “Official source”: Read on the official page: a regulator, a government scheme, a published tariff, or the maker’s own datasheet or spec page. “Dated third-party source”: Read on a dated third-party page, such as a price survey, a retailer or a product test.
Sources
Two charges on every bill
An Australian power bill has two kinds of charge:
- Usage. Cents for each kWh you use. On a time-of-use plan there are several lines (peak, shoulder, off-peak), each with its own rate.
- Supply. Cents for each day on the bill, whatever you use. It pays for the network connection.
Your usage price is what the power itself costs. Your all-in price is the whole bill divided by the kWh, supply charge included.
Which price to use
- Comparing plans: use both. A plan with a low usage rate can have a high supply charge. At low use the supply charge matters more.
- Working out an appliance’s running cost: use the usage price only. The supply charge does not change when you switch a heater on.
- Asking “what does a kWh really cost me”: the all-in price. It rises as your use falls, because the same supply charge is spread over fewer kWh.
Solar credits
If you have solar, the bill takes off a credit for your exports. That credit is income, not a cheaper price. Add it back before you divide, or your price per kWh looks lower than what you pay.
The averages here
The state averages are flat usage rates: Canstar market averages from September 2026, and the regulated Synergy A1 tariff for WA. They are not your plan. They are a check: if your usage price is well above your state’s average, it may be worth comparing plans on Energy Made Easy (or, in Victoria, Victorian Energy Compare).
Questions
What is the average electricity price per kWh in Australia?
About 32c/kWh: our mean of the 7 default state rates in the table above. Their sources: Canstar market average, 4 Sep 2026, except Western Australia (Synergy A1 regulated tariff from 1 Jul 2026). Their labels: Dated third-party source, except Western Australia (Official source). South Australia is highest at 41.5c and Victoria lowest at 27.2c. These are usage rates, without the supply charge.
How do I work out my price per kWh from my bill?
Take the daily supply charge × days off the bill total, then divide by the kWh you used. That is your usage price. Add back any solar feed-in credit first, or your price looks lower than it is.
Should I include the supply charge?
Not when you work out what an appliance costs to run: you pay the supply charge whatever you run. Use the usage price. The all-in price (whole bill ÷ kWh) is useful to see what a kWh really costs you, but it goes up when you use less.
Does the price include GST?
Your bill total includes GST, so the price this calculator gives does too. Most retailer price sheets include GST, but some regulator documents, like the Queensland QCA gazette, list prices without it. Mixing the two is a 10% error.
I am on a time-of-use plan. Which rate do I use?
For a bill average, add up every usage line (peak, shoulder, off-peak) and every kWh, then use the calculator. For one appliance, use the rate for the hours it runs.