The short answer
On the open electricity plans retailers had filed with the regulator by 17 October 2026, the median single-rate price per kWh, including GST, is:
| State | Median price a kWh | Middle 80% of plans | Median daily supply charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia | 41.8c | 37.5c to 42.5c | $1.71 |
| New South Wales | 32.2c | 28.1c to 35.5c | $1.70 |
| ACT | 29.2c | 28.7c to 36.8c | $1.36 |
| Queensland | 27.9c | 24.7c to 33.3c | $1.82 |
| Tasmania | 27.9c | 3 plans | $1.68 |
| Victoria | 26.0c | 22.5c to 31.9c | $1.19 |
Every plan also charges a daily supply charge, whatever you use. It adds $430 to $660 a year at these medians.
By network
Your price depends on the network that delivers power to your home, not just your state. It's printed on your bill.
| Network | Area | Median | Lowest | Supply a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | Sydney's east, north and inner west, Central Coast, Newcastle | 30.9c | 26.4c | $1.50 |
| Endeavour | Western Sydney, Blue Mountains, Illawarra | 32.0c | 26.2c | $1.67 |
| Essential | Regional NSW | 33.5c | 28.3c | $2.53 |
| CitiPower | Melbourne's inner suburbs | 24.9c | 19.7c | $1.13 |
| Jemena | Melbourne's north-west | 26.0c | 20.8c | $1.18 |
| United | Melbourne's south-east, Mornington Peninsula | 26.0c | 20.5c | $1.11 |
| Powercor | Melbourne's west, western Victoria | 26.8c | 21.3c | $1.29 |
| AusNet | Melbourne's east, eastern Victoria | 30.3c | 24.9c | $1.21 |
| Energex | South-east Queensland | 27.7c | 20.1c | $1.82 |
| SA Power Networks | South Australia | 41.8c | 33.9c | $1.71 |
| Evoenergy | ACT | 29.2c | 22.2c | $1.36 |
Time-of-use plans
A time-of-use plan charges more in the evening and less overnight or in the middle of the day. Median prices per kWh at 6pm, 1am and 1pm on a weekday:
| State | 6pm | 1am | 1pm | Supply a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Australia | 53.6c | 32.6c | 17.0c | $1.71 |
| Queensland | 45.1c | 25.0c | 7.3c | $1.71 |
| New South Wales | 40.7c | 27.0c | 23.9c | $1.72 |
| ACT | 39.4c | 25.0c | 29.7c | $1.23 |
| Victoria | 38.2c | 20.9c | 16.7c | $1.19 |
Queensland's middle of the day is the cheapest power on these plans:
A time-of-use plan through the day, south-east Queensland (median)
| 6pm | 45.1c |
| 1am | 25.0c |
| 1pm | 7.3c |
Plans with free hours in the middle of the day (the Solar Sharer) aren't in these figures.
Against the government's reference price
Each year the regulators set a reference price for a typical household: the Default Market Offer (DMO) in New South Wales, south-east Queensland and South Australia, and the Victorian Default Offer (VDO). For 2026-27 it's lower than last year in New South Wales (3.4% to 5.0%), south-east Queensland (7.2%) and Victoria, and 1.4% higher in South Australia.
Priced at the reference price's own usage, most single-rate plans BankMate lists cost less:
- 93% of Sydney's plans (Ausgrid) cost less than its reference price of $1,899
- 92% of south-east Queensland's (Energex), against $1,988
- 94% of South Australia's, against $2,334
| Network | Reference price a year | Usage | Plans below it | Their median bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | $1,899 | 3,900 kWh | 50 of 54 (93%) | $1,690 |
| Endeavour | $2,328 | 4,900 kWh | 49 of 56 (88%) | $2,081 |
| Essential | $2,604 | 4,600 kWh | 50 of 52 (96%) | $2,331 |
| Energex | $1,988 | 4,600 kWh | 47 of 51 (92%) | $1,907 |
| SA Power Networks | $2,334 | 4,000 kWh | 45 of 48 (94%) | $2,109 |
| CitiPower | $1,481 | 4,000 kWh | 43 of 46 (93%) | $1,377 |
| Jemena | $1,563 | 4,000 kWh | 42 of 46 (91%) | $1,453 |
| United | $1,529 | 4,000 kWh | 43 of 47 (91%) | $1,422 |
| Powercor | $1,633 | 4,000 kWh | 42 of 46 (91%) | $1,518 |
| AusNet | $1,748 | 4,000 kWh | 42 of 46 (91%) | $1,629 |
The reference price is what a standing offer (the plan you're on if you never chose one) may charge at most. Guaranteed discounts are counted in these bills; pay-on-time discounts and first-year credits aren't.
Why the rate isn't the whole bill
Two plans with the same rate can differ by hundreds of dollars a year. One may have a higher supply charge, a rate that rises after the first kWh each day, or a discount. A low rate with a high supply charge costs less the more a household uses; a high rate with a low supply charge, the less it uses.
BankMate's electricity compare page prices every plan at your postcode as a year's bill for your household, and the leaderboards rank each state's plans by a typical household's bill.
How these figures were worked out
Every open residential plan filed with the Australian Energy Regulator's Consumer Data Right feed as of 17 October 2026: plans anyone can sign up to directly, not plans sold only through a partner, to members or to existing customers. Single-rate figures leave out controlled-load, demand, wholesale and solar-only plans. A plan sold in several networks is counted once in each; a state's figure is the median across its networks. Stepped rates are the first step. Retailers file plans as GST-exclusive; every figure here includes it. Prices change often, and a plan's terms are the retailer's own.
Sources: plans from the Australian Energy Regulator's Energy Made Easy data, read nightly by BankMate. Reference prices from the AER's Default Market Offer 2026–27 final determination and the Essential Services Commission's Victorian Default Offer 2026–27.
Factual comparison, not financial advice. BankMate doesn’t consider your objectives, financial situation or needs, and isn’t licensed to give advice. Read the provider’s PDS, target market determination or key facts sheet before deciding.