Average daily electricity use by household size
| City | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 8.5 | 14.3 | 17.4 | 20.0 | 24.7 |
| Melbourne | 8.1 | 13.3 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 20.1 |
| Brisbane | 9.3 | 14.0 | 16.9 | 21.0 | 24.1 |
| Adelaide | 8.0 | 13.8 | 16.7 | 19.3 | 23.9 |
| Canberra | 11.9 | 16.7 | 21.2 | 26.1 | 27.8 |
| Hobart | 16.4 | 24.1 | 26.0 | 29.6 | 31.7 |
The benchmarks cover the capitals in the National Electricity Market, so there are no figures for Perth or Darwin. Homes with rooftop solar draw less from the grid during the day, so their grid use is lower than these figures.
Daily use in winter
| City | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 10.1 | 17.0 | 20.7 | 23.3 | 30.0 |
| Melbourne | 10.1 | 16.2 | 17.5 | 19.8 | 24.4 |
| Brisbane | 9.2 | 13.6 | 16.8 | 20.4 | 23.4 |
| Adelaide | 9.7 | 16.6 | 20.1 | 22.7 | 29.2 |
| Canberra | 16.8 | 22.2 | 27.0 | 36.0 | 36.0 |
| Hobart | 23.7 | 32.1 | 35.7 | 39.6 | 40.3 |
Working out your own daily use
Find it on your bill
Most bills show your average daily use, often with a graph against the same time last year. See reading your bill.
Or divide it out
Divide the total kWh on the bill by the number of days in the billing period.
Look at the detail
Smart meter data shows use by half hour, so you can see the overnight base load and evening peak. See reading smart meter data.
Turn kWh a day into dollars
Multiply your daily kWh by your usage rate, then add the daily supply charge. The electricity cost calculator does it for you.
Common questions
It depends on the number of people and the climate. The AER benchmarks range from about 8 kWh a day for one person to about 32 kWh for five or more people, averaged over the year.
For one or two people it is high. For a family of four or more, especially in Canberra or Hobart in winter, it is close to typical. Check the tables above for your city and household size.
Between about 8.0 and 16.4 kWh a day across the capitals in the AER benchmarks.
Heating, longer lighting hours, hot water and indoor drying all rise. Winter is the heaviest season in every capital in the AER benchmarks except Brisbane, where summer use is higher.
No. These figures are grid electricity. Solar you use as it is generated never passes through the grid meter, so solar homes record lower grid use.
On your bill, usually as average daily use for the period. Your retailer or network app shows daily or half-hourly use if you have a smart meter.
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.