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Networks and your bill

How the AER Sets Electricity Network Prices Every Five Years

Networks cannot charge what they like. Here is how the regulator decides what they can recover, and what the latest decisions mean for bills.

Checked against regulator sources, October 2026

How a determination works

  1. The network proposes

    It forecasts what it needs to spend on new assets and running costs, after consulting customers.

  2. The AER issues a draft decision

    The regulator tests the forecasts and often approves less than was asked for.

  3. The network revises

    It responds with a revised proposal, and the public can make submissions.

  4. The AER makes a final decision

    This sets the total revenue the network can recover over the five years.

  5. Prices are approved each year

    The network submits annual tariffs that must fit the approved revenue. The AER checks and approves them.

The allowed revenue covers a return on the network's assets, the depreciation of those assets, operating costs and tax. Interest rates and inflation therefore have a big effect: when they rise, so does the return networks are allowed to earn.

Current regulatory periods

Current regulatory period for each distribution network
NetworkStatePeriod
AusgridNSW2024-29
Endeavour EnergyNSW2024-29
Essential EnergyNSW2024-29
EnergexQLD2025-30
Ergon Energy NetworkQLD2025-30
SA Power NetworksSA2025-30
CitiPowerVIC2026-31
PowercorVIC2026-31
United EnergyVIC2026-31
AusNetVIC2026-31
JemenaVIC2026-31
EvoenergyACT2024-29
TasNetworksTAS2024-29
Power and Water CorporationNT2024-29
Source: AER. Western Power is regulated by the Economic Regulation Authority of Western Australia.

Victoria's 2026-31 decisions

On 30 April 2026 the AER made its final decisions for Victoria's five distribution networks, which took effect on 1 July 2026. The approved revenue over the five years is:

Approved revenue, Victorian distribution networks, 2026-31
  1. Powercor$5,335.4 million
  2. AusNet$4,745.7 million
  3. United Energy$2,319.2 million
  4. CitiPower$2,039 million
  5. Jemena$2,000 million

Source: AER, final revenue decisions for Victorian networks, April 2026.

The decisions include about $119 million across the networks for resilience during and after extreme weather and more than $112 million to improve reliability. Even so, the AER estimated the distribution part of residential bills would fall by $6 to $38 a year on average, because of forecast growth in demand.

Common questions

In the national market and the Northern Territory, the Australian Energy Regulator sets the revenue each network can recover and approves its prices each year. In Western Australia, the Economic Regulation Authority regulates Western Power.

Usually five years. Networks are on staggered cycles, so a different group is going through a determination most years.

Yes. Networks must consult customers on their proposals, and the AER publishes proposals and draft decisions for public submissions on its website.

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.