What is the average electricity and gas bill in Australia?

Finder’s research shows the average quarterly electricity bill will set Australians back $417 while gas costs $257. If you’re paying more it might be time to compare, switch and save.

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By

Sam Baran

&

Cameron Micallef

Edited by

Jason Loewenthal

Updated

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Key takeaways

  • The average quarterly electricity bill in Australia ranges from $327 to $447, while gas bills range from $179 to $294.
  • Your bill will vary depending on where you live, your household size and how much energy you use. New South Wales and South Australia typically pay the most for electricity.
  • One of the best ways to save on your energy bills is to understand what you're paying for, then use that information to find a cheaper deal.

Ever look at your power bill and wonder why it's so expensive?

You're not alone. According to Finder's research 19% of Aussies say energy bills are giving them financial stress.

To help you compare and save on your energy bills, we've given a breakdown of what the average electricity and gas bill is in your state using Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker.

If you're paying above the average, chances are you can get a better deal.

Keep in mind: These averages include bills for all household sizes and are only guidelines. The average bill may actually vary.

Average electricity bill in Australia

Here's how quarterly power bills compare across the country, state by state.

Residents of New South Wales are paying the most for their bills, with residents of Queensland coming in a close second. Western Australians pay the least for their electricity overall.

Average electricity bill by number of children

Generally, the more people you have in your household, the more power you'll chew up. Here's how average quarterly bills change based on the number of children in the family.

This reflects what we already knew – children are expensive! The gap between single-child and 2-child families is $123 per quarter or $492 per year.

Not only does each child have their own devices to power, but more children usually means a larger house, with greater heating and cooling costs.

Average electricity bill by generation

Our survey also grouped quarterly power bills by generation. Here are the averages for each age group.

While bills don't vary much for people under the age of 60, people born into the baby boomer generation (now aged 60 or older) have much lower average bills. This could be due to:

  • Senior and pensioner discounts/government subsidies
  • Lower electrical appliance use
  • More likely to own a house and potentially a solar system

Did you know?

Nearly half of Australians (47%) say their electricity bill is already higher than it was this time last year, and almost as many (48%) reckon it's only going to keep climbing over the next 12 months. If your bill's crept up too, you're in the majority, not the exception, according to Finder's 2026 Energy Report.

Average gas bills in Australia

While gas tends to be cheaper than power, that doesn't mean you're always getting a good deal. Comparing your expenses to what others are paying is a great way to reality-check your bill.

In this table, we've grouped average quarterly gas bills state by state. Keep in mind that our figures include every type of household, so they're only guidelines.

Based on this, residents of New South Wales pay the most for gas, with those residents in Victoria not too far behind. Residents of Western Australia are paying the least for their gas use.

Average gas bill by number of children

More children means a greater need for cooking and heating. Here's how quarterly gas bills change with family size.

The gap between households with no children and those with 2 is noticeable, increasing average costs by roughly $49 per quarter ($196 per year).

Average gas bill by generation

In our survey, we also looked at how gas bills changed by the respondents' age, grouped into generations.

Gas bills drop a little as people age, probably due to senior/pensioner discounts and rebates or smaller household sizes after kids have left.

How is my gas bill calculated?

Your gas bill is made up of 2 main things:

  • Overall usage. More gas means more money. While it's not too easy to reduce usage for things like cooking or hot water, monitor your winter heating costs.
  • Gas rates. A cheaper plan will save you money on the same overall use. It's a good idea to compare different gas plans if your bills are on the higher side.
Watching the bill creep up and reaching for the thermostat?
A third of Australians (33%) have cut back on heating or cooling in the past year to cope with rising household bills, making it the most common cost-cutting move in Finder's 2026 Household Report. Knowing what the average household pays is a good way to check whether you're paying more than you need to.
Source: Finder's Household Report 2026

How is my electricity bill calculated?

Your electricity bill is made up of 2 main costs:

  • Overall usage. The more power you use, the more it costs. Reduce your use by investing in energy-efficient appliances, running an energy audit on your house or following some of our simple power-saving tips.
  • Power rates. A better power plan will cost you less. It's always worth comparing your electricity options if your bills are creeping up above the average.

If you're looking to save money on your energy bill, see our 16 energy-saving tips.

How else can I understand my bill?

Your energy provider should include a comparison of your usage to other households in your neighbourhood. Usually, this ranks you against the average of various household sizes.

The first thing you'll see is a summary of your power that you've used over the period. We've given an example of an EnergyAustralia bill to help you visualise:

Picture not described

Depending on the provider, this will appear in different spots on your bill, but you should be able to find the average energy usage in your area.

Look out for something that looks like this:

Picture not described

7 reasons that can impact your energy bill

There are a few things that might impact how much electricity you use. These include:

  • The electricity plan you're on – some providers offer discounts to get you to sign up or offer lower prices than their competition.
  • Where you live.
  • The size of your house – whether it's a townhouse, apartment or freestanding property.
  • Insulation in your place.
  • The design of your home including the use of passive heating and cooling.
  • Your personal habits including length of showers, whether you leave lights on or when you leave a room.
  • Appliances – where you can, you might be able to save money on your bills by running more energy-efficient appliances.
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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Jason Loewenthal as part of our fact-checking process.
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Sam Baran is a writer for Finder, covering topics across the tech, telco and utilities sectors. They enjoy decrypting technical jargon and helping people compare complex products easily. When they aren't writing, you'll find Sam's head buried in a book or working on their latest short story. Sam has a Bachelor of Advanced Science from the University of Sydney. See full bio

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Cameron Micallef is a personal finance journalist with eight years of experience, specialising in investing, property and household bills. He has written for Smart Property Investment, nestegg and Investor Daily. Cameron holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies and Commerce, as well as a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification (RG146), ensuring compliance with ASIC standards. See full bio

Cameron's expertise
Cameron has written 126 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Energy
  • Mobile
  • Internet
  • Streaming
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