Average gas use and bills by state
| State | MJ a year | MJ a day | Typical plan a year | Per quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 50,743 | 139 | $2,232 | $558 |
| the ACT | 36,935 | 101 | $1,892 | $473 |
| New South Wales | 19,978 | 55 | $1,098 | $275 |
| South Australia | 22,321 | 61 | $1,667 | $417 |
| Queensland | 7,649 | 21 | $721 | $180 |
Why gas bills differ so much
Space heating is the biggest gas use in most connected homes, so climate matters most. The AER found that Victorian use is more than 50% above the ACT and Tasmania, the next highest, and that Queensland homes use far less than anywhere else. Water heating and cooking scale with the number of people; heating does not, so a small household in a cold city can still have a large bill.
WA and the NT
The AER benchmarks cover the National Energy Market states only. For WA prices see WA gas prices.
Common questions
It varies widely by state. For a three-person home on AER benchmark usage, a typical market plan costs about $721 a year in Brisbane and about $2,232 in eastern Melbourne.
On the AER benchmarks, a three-person home uses about 19,978 MJ a year in NSW, 50,743 MJ in Victoria and 7,649 MJ in Queensland.
Victoria, by a wide margin, because most homes there heat with gas through long winters.
Sources
Usage comes from the AER gas benchmarks. Costs come from the AER's Energy Made Easy plan data, priced by us. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.