Electricity rates in every state and territory
The table lists the regulated flat rate for every network, priced at the same 4,000 kWh a year so you can compare like with like. States are ordered from the most expensive typical year to the cheapest.
| State and network | Usage | Supply | At 4,000 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA · SA Power NetworksAll of South Australia | 41.91c | $1.80 | $2,334 |
| ACT · Evoenergy network, ActewAGL standard planAll of the ACT | 36.95c | $1.34 | $1,968 |
| NSW · AusgridSydney, Hunter and Central Coast | 33.14c | $1.66 | $1,932 |
| NSW · Endeavour EnergyWestern Sydney, Blue Mountains, Illawarra and South Coast | 33.73c | $1.85 | $2,025 |
| NSW · Essential EnergyRegional and rural NSW | 35.01c | $2.72 | $2,394 |
| QLD · EnergexSouth East Queensland, including Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast | 27.97c | $1.92 | $1,820 |
| QLD · Ergon EnergyRegional Queensland (Tariff 11, QCA notified price) | 28.89c | $1.81 | $1,815 |
| WA · SynergyPerth and the South West (SWIS) | 33.26c | $1.19 | $1,766 |
| WA · Horizon PowerRegional and remote WA (A2 tariff) | 33.26c | $1.19 | $1,766 |
| TAS · Aurora Energy, Tariff 32Single Rate, all of Tasmania | 24.75c | $1.82 | $1,654 |
| VIC · AusNet ServicesEastern Melbourne, Gippsland and north-east Victoria | 31.98c | $1.28 | $1,747 |
| VIC · CitiPowerMelbourne CBD and inner suburbs | 25.96c | $1.21 | $1,481 |
| VIC · JemenaNorth-west Melbourne | 27.47c | $1.27 | $1,563 |
| VIC · PowercorWestern Melbourne and western Victoria | 28.22c | $1.38 | $1,633 |
| VIC · United EnergySouth-east Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula | 27.35c | $1.19 | $1,529 |
| NT · Jacana Energy, Standard ResidentialDarwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs | 31.68c | $0.62 | $1,495 |
Two numbers decide every bill: the usage rate and the daily supply charge. A low usage rate does not guarantee a cheap bill. Tasmania has the cheapest usage rate in the country, but its $1.82 daily charge pushes a typical year above Victoria and the NT.
Who sets electricity prices in each state
In most of the country the regulated price is a safety net and a benchmark, not what most people pay. In a few places it is the price nearly everyone pays.
| Regulator | Where | What it sets |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Energy Regulator | NSW, South East Queensland, South Australia | Default Market Offer, an annual price cap on standing offers |
| Essential Services Commission | Victoria | Victorian Default Offer, the regulated standing offer price |
| Queensland Competition Authority | Regional Queensland | Notified prices charged by Ergon Retail |
| WA Government | Western Australia | Synergy and Horizon Power tariffs, set in the state budget |
| Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator | Tasmania | Aurora Energy standing offer prices |
| ICRC | ACT | ActewAGL standing offer prices |
| NT Government | Northern Territory | Electricity Pricing Order tariffs charged by Jacana Energy |
Read more about how the two main benchmarks work in our guides to the Default Market Offer and the Victorian Default Offer.
State by state
- New South Wales▼ 3.4%Three networks with three prices. Essential Energy in regional NSW has the state's highest rate and a $2.72 daily supply charge.NSW rates and tariffs
- Victoria▼ 5%Five VDO prices, one per distributor. The cheapest usage rates in the country and free midday power from October 2026.Victoria rates and tariffs
- Queensland▼ 7.2%A competitive market in the south-east, and subsidised Ergon prices in the regions kept close to Brisbane's.Queensland rates and tariffs
- South Australia▲ 1.4%The highest regulated usage rate in Australia and the only DMO price that rose for 2026-27.SA rates and tariffs
- Western Australia▲ 2.75%One government-owned retailer in Perth and one regulated price. Low supply charge, solar buyback of 2c to 10c.WA rates and tariffs
- Tasmania▲ 4.23%Aurora Energy tariffs by number. The cheapest flat usage rate in the country and a 9.276c feed-in tariff.Tasmania rates and tariffs
- Australian Capital Territory▲ 2.73%One network, regulated ActewAGL standing offer at 36.95c, and an $800 utilities rebate.ACT rates and tariffs
- Northern Territory▲ 5.3%Separate grids outside the national market, a very low daily charge and an 18.66c evening feed-in tariff.NT rates and tariffs
What decides the rate you pay
Your network
The company that owns the poles and wires in your street sets the network part of your price, and you cannot change it. That is why there are three prices in NSW and five in Victoria.
Your retailer and plan
Retailers buy power and network access, then sell it to you with their own margin. In competitive states the gap between the best and worst plan on the same network can be hundreds of dollars a year.
Your tariff type
A flat rate charges the same for every kWh. A time-of-use tariff charges more in the evening peak and less at other times. A controlled load circuit runs a hot water system at a cheaper rate during set hours. The right choice depends on when you use power, not just how much.
Solar and free midday power
If you have solar, your feed-in rate matters as much as your usage rate. Even without panels, the Solar Sharer Offer in NSW, South East Queensland and South Australia, and the Midday Power Saver in Victoria, give free power from 11am to 2pm (12pm to 3pm in SA) to homes with a smart meter.
The one check worth doing
Take the usage rate and supply charge from your last bill and compare them with your network in the table above. If yours are higher, compare plans. If you are in WA, Tasmania, the NT or regional Queensland, look instead at whether a different tariff from the same retailer suits you better.
Questions about Australian electricity rates
On regulated prices for a household using 4,000 kWh a year, the Northern Territory is the cheapest state at about $1,495, followed by Victoria at $1,591 on the average Default Offer. The cheapest single network is CitiPower at about $1,481. South Australia is the most expensive at about $2,334. Tasmania has the lowest usage rate, but its supply charge lifts the total.
There is no single national rate, because each network has its own price. Regulated flat usage rates for 2026-27 run from 24.75c/kWh in Tasmania to 41.91c in South Australia, and most sit between 26c and 34c. Daily supply charges range from about 62c in the NT to $2.72 in regional NSW, so always compare both numbers.
Both are regulated reference prices for households not on a market offer. The Default Market Offer is set by the AER for NSW, South East Queensland and South Australia as an annual price cap. The Victorian Default Offer is set by the Essential Services Commission for Victoria. Each also works as the benchmark retailers must compare their offers against.
In most of the east, yes. The DMO fell between 3.4% and 7.2% in NSW and South East Queensland, and the Victorian Default Offer fell 5%. Prices rose in South Australia (1.4%), the ACT (2.73% on average), WA (2.75%), Tasmania (4.23% on average) and the NT (5.3%).
Mostly because of network costs and how each state buys and regulates power. Networks that cover long distances with few customers, like Essential Energy in regional NSW, charge more. Wholesale prices differ between regions of the national market, and WA and the NT run separate systems altogether. Some states also subsidise regional prices.
They are the regulated reference prices, which are a ceiling in competitive markets. In NSW, South East Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and the ACT, most households are on market offers that are often cheaper. In WA, regional Queensland, Tasmania and the NT, many households pay the regulated price itself.
Most regulated residential rates in Australia do not change with the seasons. Your bill does, because you use more power for cooling in summer and heating in winter. Some time-of-use and demand tariffs have different peak windows during daylight saving, such as Aurora Energy Tariff 93 in Tasmania.
Regulated prices change on 1 July in every state and territory. Regulators publish their final decisions in May or June. Retailers can change market offer prices at other times, but they must give you notice before a price change takes effect.
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.
- AER, Default Market Offer 2026-27 final determination
- IPART, solar feed-in tariff benchmark 2026-27
- energy.gov.au, Solar Sharer Offer
- Essential Services Commission, Victorian Default Offer 2026-27
- Premier of Victoria, Midday Power Saver
- QCA, regulated electricity prices for regional Queensland 2026-27
- Synergy, Home Plan A1
- Aurora Energy, residential prices
- OTTER, retail pricing approvals
- ActewAGL, ACT standard plan prices from 1 July 2026
- ICRC, retail electricity prices 2024-27
- Jacana Energy, residential pricing