Reading your Aussie electricity bill, line by line

Most Aussies look at the total on their power bill and pay it. The other 95% of the document tells you exactly where the money’s going and where the savings are. Fifteen minutes of reading saves $200 to $600 a year for most households.

The four numbers that decide your annual cost

Find these on your bill:

1. Daily supply charge (in cents per day): the fixed fee. 80 to 150 c/day typical
2. Peak usage rate (in c/kWh): main usage tier
3. Off-peak usage rate (in c/kWh): cheap overnight or off-peak hours (if your plan has TOU)
4. Feed-in tariff (in c/kWh): credit for solar export

These four numbers, multiplied by your usage pattern, set your bill. Everything else on the page is breakdown or marketing.

Standard bill sections, in order

Account summary

Your account number, billing period (usually quarterly in most states, monthly in others), and the bottom-line total.

Average daily cost / usage comparison

Compares this bill to your last few. Useful for spotting changes. A sudden jump usually means: a new appliance (heating in winter, AC in summer), a faulty appliance running unexpectedly, a hot water system stuck on, or an outdoor light left on.

Usage breakdown

Most bills split usage by:

• Peak: the most expensive tier, typically 28 to 45 c/kWh in 2026. Usually 7am to 11pm or similar
• Off-peak: cheaper, 18 to 28 c/kWh, usually overnight 10pm to 7am
• Shoulder: middle tier (some plans), between peak and off-peak rates
• Controlled load (or “Tariff 31”): dedicated meter for hot water systems, runs only overnight at very cheap rates (15 to 22 c/kWh)

If you don’t have time-of-use rates, you’re on a flat tariff: one rate all the time.

Supply charges

The fixed daily charge. The most overlooked number. A 150c/day supply charge is $548/year before you turn anything on. If you use very little electricity (small unit, holiday home), this can be over half your bill.

Solar feed-in credits

If you have solar, this section shows export. Two numbers matter:

• Total kWh exported
• Feed-in tariff (c/kWh) you receive

Multiply them and that’s your solar credit for the period.

Discounts and rebates

Many plans advertise “10% off” or “20% off” as a discount. Check what it’s discounting from:

• Pay-on-time discount: credited only if you pay by the due date
• Direct debit discount: credited only if you’re on direct debit
• Conditional discount: lost if you miss a payment

The “headline rate after discount” is what counts. Compare that to other providers.

Government rebates

If you’re eligible for state rebates (low-income, senior’s discounts, family tax benefit), they show here. NSW Energy Account Payment Assistance, VIC Power Saving Bonus (when available), QLD Electricity Asset Ownership Dividend, etc. These add up, typically $100 to $500/year for eligible households.

The big lever: switching providers

The Australian energy market has a known “loyalty tax”, long-term customers usually pay 20 to 35% more than new ones for identical service. Switch every 12 to 18 months and you save $200 to $600/year on average.

Compare on:

• Energy Made Easy (federal, energymadeeasy.gov.au): national comparison tool, no kickbacks
• VIC Energy Compare (VIC government)
• NSW Energy Switch (NSW Service)
• These show every offer in your postcode, sorted by your typical use

Avoid commercial comparison sites (most take referral fees from the providers they show, biasing the comparison).

Common confusing items

• Loss factor: a small loading on the network charge component, reflects energy lost in transmission. You can’t change it.
• Market charges: AEMO market operator’s small per-kWh fee. Standard across providers.
• GST: 10%, added to the subtotal. Same on every bill.
• Late payment fee: $5 to $15 if you miss the due date. Set up direct debit to avoid.

When the bill jumps unexpectedly

A 25%+ jump usually has one of these causes:

1. Estimated reading vs actual: providers estimate every other bill. Catch-up actual reads can be a big number
2. Faulty appliance: a hot water system stuck in heating mode, a pool pump on the wrong schedule, an AC compressor failing inefficiently
3. New appliance: a new electric heating circuit, an EV charging at home, a workshop in the garage
4. Seasonal: winter heating and summer cooling are the two biggest demand spikes

Check usage in kWh on the bill (not just the dollar total). If kWh is up, find what’s consuming. If kWh is the same but dollars are up, the rate has changed and it’s time to compare providers.