Average NSW electricity bill by network
Where you live in NSW sets your network, and your network sets the price. Ausgrid customers in Sydney's east, the Central Coast and the Hunter pay the least. Essential Energy customers across regional NSW pay about $115 a quarter more for the same usage, mostly because of a $2.72 daily supply charge.
The AER's own benchmarks point the same way. Its 2026-27 price cap assumes an Ausgrid household uses 3,900 kWh a year, an Essential household 4,600 kWh and an Endeavour household 4,900 kWh, which puts the caps at $1,899, $2,604 and $2,328 a year.
NSW bills at low, medium and high usage
| Network | Low | Medium | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| AusgridSydney, Hunter and Central Coast | $359 | $483 | $690 |
| Endeavour EnergyWestern Sydney, Blue Mountains, Illawarra and South Coast | $380 | $506 | $717 |
| Essential EnergyRegional and rural NSW | $467 | $598 | $817 |
Usage moves a bill more than anything else. In the Ausgrid area, a low-usage home pays about $359 a quarter and a high-usage home about $690. Apartments and homes with gas cooking, heating and hot water usually sit at the low end. Large families, pools, electric hot water and ducted air conditioning push homes to the high end.
Houses, apartments and the seasons
Apartments tend to use less power because they are smaller, share walls that hold heat and rarely have a pool or a second fridge in the garage. Some Sydney apartment buildings also run on an embedded network, where the building owner sells you power. Different rules apply there, which our embedded networks guide explains.
NSW bills can peak twice a year. Western Sydney and inland NSW see big summer bills from air conditioning, while winter heating lifts bills everywhere, especially in the tablelands. A winter bill well above your spring bill is normal if you heat with electricity.
Bringing a NSW bill below average
- Compare against the reference price. Every NSW offer must state how far it sits below the DMO for your network. See NSW electricity rates.
- Use the free midday window. The Solar Sharer Offer gives free power from 11am to 2pm, up to 24 kWh a day, if you can shift usage there.
- Put hot water on controlled load. An electric storage system on Controlled Load 1 or 2 costs much less to run than on your general rate.
- Claim rebates. The Low Income Household Rebate is worth up to $285 a year to concession card holders.
Check your own number
Divide the kWh on your bill by the number of days. At 11 kWh a day you are close to the medium level on this page. Then price your exact usage in the NSW bill calculator.
Questions about average bills in NSW
On 2026-27 reference prices, a household using 1,000 kWh a quarter pays about $483 with Ausgrid, $506 with Endeavour and $598 with Essential Energy, supply included. Many households on market offers pay less.
About $161 a month in the Ausgrid area at 4,000 kWh a year on the 2026-27 reference price, and about $199 in the Essential Energy area. NSW retailers usually bill quarterly, but many let you choose monthly billing.
At 4,000 kWh a year it is about $1,932 in the Ausgrid area on the reference price. The AER caps a standing offer at $1,899 for an Ausgrid household using 3,900 kWh, $2,328 for Endeavour at 4,900 kWh and $2,604 for Essential at 4,600 kWh.
Either you use more power than average, or you pay more per kWh. Divide your kWh by the days on your bill: anything well above 11 kWh a day is high usage. If your usage is normal but the bill is still high, compare your rates with the reference price for your network.
Usually, because they are smaller, share walls that hold heat and rarely have pools. Supply charges are the same as a house on the same network though, so a low-usage apartment can still pay a fair amount. Some apartment buildings use embedded networks with their own pricing.
The regulated cap fell for 2026-27: 3.4% for Ausgrid and Endeavour and 5.0% for Essential Energy. Your own bill depends on your retailer and how much you use. Check the price change notice your retailer sent before 1 July.
Sources
Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.