Cheapest Electricity in Australia: Biggest Discounts by State

With the deregulation of electricity prices across Australia, customers get more of a choice when it comes to electricity retailers and prices. Finding the cheapest electricity in Australia is very dependent on electricity distributor, location, and personal energy consumption. Find our guide below for a list of the cheapest electricity plans and providers, by state or territory.

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Cheapest electricity in Victoria

Finding the cheapest electricity in Victoria can be tricky. Energy providers in Victoria base their electricity prices off the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), which is the reference price set by the Victorian government. Prices vary between provider, distributor, and individual electricity usage, however there are a number of electricity providers that stand out as being significantly cheaper than the average.

*Annual price based on flat rate tariff - exact savings may differ based on energy distributor, and personal energy consumption
**Prices fluctuate due to wholesale pricing of Powerclub, spikes in wholesale electricity may result in a spike on your bill

Cheapest electricity in New South Wales

New South Wales is one of the states included in the Default Market Offer (DMO), where the Australian government sets the reference price based on electricity distribution area. Customers trying to find the cheapest electricity plans in New South Wales should look at the DMO for their distribution region, when comparing it to the estimated price electricity providers give.

*Annual price based on flat rate tariff - exact savings may differ based on energy distributor, and personal energy consumption
**Prices fluctuate due to wholesale pricing of Powerclub, spikes in wholesale electricity may result in a spike on your bill

Cheapest electricity in Queensland

South East Queensland enjoys deregulated energy service and as such, customers can choose which electricity provider is best for them. While the majority of Queensland have electricity service provided by Ergon Energy, customers between the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast have the power of choice. Customers looking for the cheapest electricity provider in Queensland have a number of options to choose from.

*Annual price based on flat-rate tariff - exact savings may differ based on energy distributor, and personal energy consumption
**Prices fluctuate due to wholesale pricing of Powerclub, spikes in wholesale electricity may result in a spike on your bill

Cheapest electricity in South Australia

South Australia has some of the highest electricity prices in Australia, so it’s very important to compare energy plans to find the cheapest electricity plans in South Australia. While South Australia is on the Default Market Offer, the estimated price for the South Australia Power Networks distribution area is much higher than other states and territories.

*Annual price based on flat rate tariff - exact savings may differ based on energy distributor, and personal energy consumption
**Prices fluctuate due to wholesale pricing of Powerclub, spikes in wholesale electricity may result in a spike on your bill

Cheapest electricity in the ACT

Electricity in the Australian Capital Territory is regulated, unlike other parts of Australia, which means customers only have a handful of options when it comes to choosing the cheapest electricity in the ACT.

*Annual price based on flat-rate tariff - exact savings may differ based on energy distributor and personal energy consumption
**Prices fluctuate due to wholesale pricing of Powerclub, spikes in wholesale electricity may result in a spike on your bill

Cheapest electricity in Tasmania

Historically, Tasmania has only been provided with electricity by Aurora Energy. Recently, however, it has opened up to 1st Energy as well. Prices in Tasmania are relatively equal across the board, despite deregulation. However, choosing an electricity tariff based on your personal lifestyle can help control electricity costs. The most popular tariffs are single or flat rate, and time-of-use, with or without a controlled load.

Flat or single rate tariffs are best for customers who don’t want to worry about the day or time they use electricity. No matter when, customers have the same cents/kWh price and a single daily supply charge. This tariff is known as Tariff 31.

Customers sometimes have electric heating and hot water, which can be more expensive than the average electrical appliance. As such, Tariff 41 (heating and hot water controlled load) is designed to meter these heating appliances separately from the rest of the household’s electricity usage. This can help keep costs down, as the rates for this tariff are less expensive than the single rate tariff.

For appliances separate from heating and hot water, which still use more electricity than average (such as pool heaters, or under-floor heating), Aurora and 1st Energy offer controlled load tariffs where the usage charges are cheaper during certain points of the day. Tariff 61 is a controlled load tariff for nighttime use with an afternoon boost, while Tariff 62 is a controlled load tariff for nighttime use only.

*Tariff 61 is no longer being installed for new Aurora Energy customers. Customers with existing Tariff 61 connections will continue to be charged at their existing rate.

For customers who may use more electricity during off-peak hours (when demand on the electricity grid is lessened), a time-of-use or peak and off-peak tariff might be a better option, known as Tariff 93. This is when customers get charged less for energy usage during certain times of the day, usually during the night and workday hours. Exact peak and off-peak times depend on where you live, and your electricity retailer.

Cheapest electricity in the Northern Territory

Despite electricity being deregulated in 2010, energy competition in the Northern Territory is scarce. As such, finding the cheapest electricity in the Northern Territory is difficult. Jacana Energy is the major electricity retailer in the area, while Rimfire Energy is one of the newest. Governmentally-owned Power & Water Co. only retails electricity to a select number of remote communities.

*Annual price based on flat-rate tariff - exact savings may differ based on energy distributor and personal energy consumption

Cheapest electricity in Western Australia

Customers in Western Australia are divided into two categories; contestable and non-contestable. All non-contestable customers have electricity provided to them by governmentally-owned Synergy, while contestable customers get to choose between Synergy and Horizon Power. Both of these plans offer the same rates, so finding the cheapest electricity in Western Australia is not entirely possible. Despite electricity being regulated in Western Australia, natural gas in Western Australia is fully contestable with many options. Go to our Cheapest Natural Gas comparison to find the best natural gas choices for you.