Australia · AUD
Electricity prices per kWh in Australia
Check published electricity price references for your network, then calculate appliance running costs using the rate on your bill. The calculator accepts watts and hours, energy per use, annual label energy or measured kWh.
Calculate your electricity cost
Use watts and running time, or enter energy from a label, meter or completed load. Your inputs stay on this device.
Enter a number within each field’s limits to calculate your cost.
Your estimated energy cost
— across 365 use days per year
Power mode includes your selected duty cycle. The monthly figure assumes 30.44 use days; the annual total uses your selected use days. These are estimates at the entered rate.
Energy charges only. Standing or supply charges, purchase, installation and maintenance are excluded. See the calculation method and sources.
Before you compare costs
- Enter your usage charge in cents per kWh, including GST. Do not enter the daily supply charge as a usage rate.
- Your retailer, distribution area and tariff matter. There is no single Australian rate used by this calculator.
- The examples use 30 c/kWh only to show the arithmetic. It is not a current national average, a regulated reference or your default rate.
Example: 1 kW used for different lengths of time
Illustrative arithmetic at 30 c/kWh, assuming a constant 1 kW electrical draw throughout. These scenarios are separate from your inputs and do not represent typical appliance energy use.
These fixed examples use 30c/kWh. Changing the calculator updates its results only.
| Time at 1 kW input | Electricity used | Example cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 1 kWh | A$0.30 |
| 4 hours | 4 kWh | A$1.20 |
| 8 hours | 8 kWh | A$2.40 |
NSW, SA and South East Queensland: price caps per kWh
AER Default Market Offer residential flat-rate tariff caps for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Match the distribution network on your bill. These caps apply within the DMO standing-offer scope; they are not market-offer quotes, state averages, time-of-use prices or caps for every Australian household.
| Distribution network | Usage (c/kWh) | Supply (c/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid (NSW) | 33.1372 | 166.2289 |
| Endeavour Energy (NSW) | 33.7273 | 185.1350 |
| Essential Energy (NSW) | 35.0054 | 272.2168 |
| Energex (South East Queensland) | 27.9744 | 192.0159 |
| SA Power Networks (SA) | 41.9103 | 180.0512 |
Both columns retain the published cents units. Divide by 100 for Australian dollars. Daily supply is charged separately from each kWh; additional applicable tariff components, such as controlled load, need their own rates. This table does not cover regional Queensland. AER 2026-27 final determination, section 9: residential flat-rate tariff caps.
Victoria: default-offer electricity prices per kWh
Domestic flat-rate Victorian Default Offer tariffs for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, by distribution zone. Victoria uses its own reference rather than the AER DMO. These are default-offer tariffs, not a Victorian average or a claim about the cheapest plan.
| Distribution network | Usage (c/kWh) | Supply (c/day) |
|---|---|---|
| AusNet Services | 31.98 | 128.24 |
| CitiPower | 25.96 | 121.14 |
| Jemena | 27.47 | 127.13 |
| Powercor | 28.22 | 138.05 |
| United Energy | 27.35 | 119.12 |
The ESC publishes daily supply in A$/day; it is converted exactly to c/day here so both tables use the same units. For example, A$1.2114/day is 121.14c/day. Controlled-load and time-of-use tariffs are separate. Changing the calculator does not change either reference table. Essential Services Commission: Victorian Default Offer 2026-27.
Turn watts or kWh into Australian dollars
Energy in kWh = watts / 1,000 x hours drawing that power. Cost in AUD = kWh x usage rate in c/kWh / 100. A constant 1,000 W draw for one hour uses 1 kWh.
For cycling appliances, maximum rated watts may not describe the average draw. Measured kWh already includes the on/off behaviour during the measurement. Do not apply a duty cycle to that measured energy again.
Read the usage rate and GST treatment on your bill
Find the charge for electricity used, usually expressed as c/kWh or dollars per kWh. For example, a bill rate of A$0.30 per kWh is entered as 30 c/kWh. This conversion example does not set your tariff.
Use the GST-inclusive usage rate for a GST-inclusive estimate. If your bill quotes a rate excluding GST, obtain the corresponding inclusive rate from the bill or plan details. Do not add GST again to a rate that already includes it.
For time-of-use tariffs, multiply the energy in each period by its applicable rate and add the costs. This calculator applies one entered rate at a time; it does not automatically allocate energy between peak, off-peak or other periods. Controlled load applies to an eligible separately metered or dedicated circuit, not simply to any appliance used at night.
Keep the supply charge separate
A daily supply charge pays for the electricity connection and normally remains payable when you switch off an appliance. This appliance running-cost result excludes it.
For a whole electricity bill estimate, add the daily supply charge once per connection for each day covered, alongside the cost of all electricity used. Include any additional applicable circuit charges or bill adjustments separately. Dividing your total bill by kWh can mix these fixed charges with the usage rate.
For example, 100 kWh at an illustrative 30c/kWh costs A$30 in usage. Thirty days of an illustrative A$1.20/day supply charge adds A$36, making A$66 before other adjustments. A$66 divided by 100 kWh is an all-in 66c/kWh for that period, but the usage rate is still 30c/kWh. The 66c figure is not the price of one extra kWh.
Understand DMO and Victorian reference prices
The AER Default Market Offer for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 covers standing offers within its scope in New South Wales, South Australia and South East Queensland. It includes an annual comparison price and residential daily supply and usage tariff caps by distribution zone.
The annual comparison price uses benchmark consumption. It is not a maximum total bill or a universal c/kWh rate. Victoria has its own Victorian Default Offer, with rates by distribution zone and tariff structure. Neither reference is a national average or necessarily the cheapest available plan.
For plan comparisons, Energy Made Easy supports the ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. Use Victorian Energy Compare in Victoria. Enter your postcode and actual usage to check offers available to your address. In Western Australia and the Northern Territory, check your retailer or the local pricing authority for the tariff that applies to your connection.
For this appliance calculation, use the usage rate from your own plan wherever you live in Australia. A market offer, solar export credit, demand charge or different time band can change the comparison; a headline percentage below a reference price is not automatically the discount on each kWh.
Calculation method
Cost in AUD = energy in kWh × rate in cents per kWh ÷ 100. Power mode estimates kWh from watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × duty cycle ÷ 100. Enter 100% duty for continuously drawn or already averaged watts.
In power mode, the monthly equivalent uses 30.44 use days. Annual cost uses your chosen use days, initially 365. For seasonal use, reduce the annual days. Annual energy mode uses the entered kWh/year without another duty or use-day factor, then divides annual cost by 12.
Meter mode prices the measured kWh over the entered elapsed days and projects the daily average. Per-use mode multiplies kWh per use by uses per active week and active weeks per year; its planning year has 52 weeks (364 days), and its monthly average is annual cost ÷ 12. No projection predicts future prices or weather.
A single entered price applies to all energy in this appliance calculator. It excludes fixed standing or supply charges. Use the time-of-use versus single-rate comparison to enter two or three price bands and each plan's daily charge over the same period. Neither tool models demand charges, export credits or every tariff rule.
Calculations happen in your browser. Calculator inputs are not submitted to our server. Worked tables are arithmetic scenarios, not measurements of household appliances. Prices and energy are rounded for display; positive costs below one penny or cent are shown as less than A$0.01.
Common questions
How much does 1 kWh of electricity cost in Australia?
It costs the usage rate that applies to your plan and time of use. At the illustrative 30 c/kWh rate, 1 kWh costs A$0.30. This is an arithmetic example, not an Australian average or a suggested rate for your bill.
How much does a 2,000 W heater cost for 24 hours?
A constant 2,000 W draw for all 24 hours uses 48 kWh. At the illustrative 30 c/kWh rate, that costs A$14.40. A thermostat can reduce heating-on time, so time switched on is not necessarily time drawing full power.
Should I add the supply charge to every appliance?
No. It is normally a daily charge for the connection. Add it once per connection per day when estimating the relevant whole bill, rather than to each appliance or each load.
Why is my total bill divided by kWh higher than my usage rate?
The bill can include daily supply charges and other adjustments as well as electricity usage. Total bill divided by kWh is an effective cost for that period, not necessarily your tariff usage rate. For appliance costs, use the applicable c/kWh usage charge. For comparing whole plans, include supply and other applicable charges once.
Where can I compare electricity prices for my address?
Use the government Energy Made Easy service in the ACT, NSW, Queensland, South Australia or Tasmania, or Victorian Energy Compare in Victoria. In WA and the NT, check the retailer or local pricing authority for your connection. Compare your usage, tariff times and daily charges; the lowest displayed c/kWh alone does not establish the lowest bill.
Can I use the DMO annual price as my electricity rate?
No. The annual comparison price combines benchmark usage and tariff assumptions. Use your bill usage rate for appliance cost. The 2026-27 DMO also publishes residential usage and supply caps, but these have defined geographic and tariff scope and are not a universal Australian rate.
Will running an appliance at night always save money?
No. The price per kWh must be lower under your actual tariff at that time. A flat tariff charges the same usage rate throughout the day. A controlled-load price is available only to an eligible circuit.
Do the monthly and annual results predict my future bill?
No. They project the entered usage and rate. If usage, active weeks or prices change, calculate the affected periods separately. The appliance estimate also excludes daily supply charges and other bill adjustments.
Appliance guides
Cost comparisons
Sources and checking your inputs
- Australian Energy Regulator: understanding your energy bill
- Australian Energy Regulator: Default Market Offer for 2026-27
- AER 2026-27 final determination, section 9: residential flat-rate tariff caps
- Essential Services Commission: Victorian Default Offer 2026-27
- Energy Made Easy: Australian Government plan comparison
- Victorian Energy Compare: Victorian Government plan comparison
Source review: 13 October 2026. Use the rate and energy units on your own tariff and product documentation. Report a correction.