We've gone through all the data in the AER's 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Benchmarks report to give you an idea of how your consumption stacks up against others, and how you can curb it.
Consumption varies significantly by state. Tasmanians use the most per year, 8,619kWh on average, especially on heating in the cold winter.
Victorians use almost half as much power annually as Tasmanians and have the lowest consumption at 4,615kWh.
The AER report only accounts for states that are part of the National Electricity Market (NEM). Because WA and NT don't report figures the same way, they haven't been included in this report.
According to an AEMC fact sheet from 2017 the average annual electricity consumption in Western Australia is 5,198 kWh per year.
Based on information from Northern Territory Power and Water, the average household in the NT has an annual usage of 8,500kWh. This is due to the heat in the territory which in turn requires heavier use of air conditioning. More recent estimates based on 2023–24 DCCEEW consumption data put WA at around 5,525kWh and the NT at around 10,447kWh a year – see the table in the next section.
The AER's survey-based benchmarks above are frozen at December 2020. For a more current (if less directly comparable) read, we divided each state's total residential electricity consumption for 2023–24 — from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's Australian Energy Statistics 2025 — by Finder's estimate of the number of households in that state (based on ABS 2021 Census household counts, rolled forward using ABS state population growth to December 2024).
This is a system-wide average across all residential electricity use, not a modelled "typical" household like the AER survey, so it tends to run higher and isn't directly comparable — but it shows the same general pattern holding up: Territorians and Tasmanians still use the most power per household, Western Australians and Victorians the least.
| State | Estimated annual usage (kWh), 2023–24 |
|---|---|
| Northern Territory | 10,447 |
| Tasmania | 8,731 |
| Queensland | 7,735 |
| New South Wales (incl. ACT) | 6,787 |
| South Australia | 6,222 |
| Victoria | 5,665 |
| Western Australia | 5,525 |
Larger households consume more energy, but just how much depends on the capital city they're based in and what the climate is like.
Residents of Hobart used the most power for each household member on average, while Melbourne residents used the least.
Here's a look at average usage per quarter in capital cities based on household size.
| Household size | Sydney usage (kWh) | Brisbane usage (kWh) | Adelaide usage (kWh) | Melbourne usage (kWh) | Canberra usage (kWh) | Hobart usage (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 777 | 853 | 734 | 738 | 1,090 | 1,501 |
| 2 | 1,309 | 1,282 | 1,262 | 1,210 | 1,527 | 2,196 |
| 3 | 1,590 | 1,542 | 1,543 | 1,269 | 1,931 | 2,369 |
| 4 | 1,828 | 1,921 | 1,780 | 1,451 | 2,386 | 2,705 |
| 5+ | 2,252 | 2,201 | 2,205 | 1,838 | 2,538 | 2,889 |
1 person vs 5 person household consumption
Average household size
Cheaper in Spring than Winter
Average annual consumption total for a household of 2
1 person vs 5 person household consumption
Average household size
Cheaper in Spring than Winter
Average annual consumption total for a household of 3
1 person vs 5 person household consumption
Average household size
Cheaper in Spring than Winter
Average annual consumption total for a household of 3
1 person vs 5 person household consumption
Average household size
Cheaper in Spring than Winter
Average annual consumption total for a household of 3
1 person vs 5 person household consumption
Average household size
Cheaper in Spring than Winter
Average annual consumption total for a household of 2
1 person vs 5 person household consumption
Average household size
Cheaper in Spring than Winter
Average annual consumption total for a household of 2
"For a more accurate idea of what your average electricity usage is check the second page of your energy bill. It should show your usage compared to households in your area."
Australia is a huge continent with extremely diverse climates. The climate you live in affects your heating and cooling bills.
Warm, temperate areas like Sydney have low annual consumption (average of 5,154kWh), while cold areas like Hobart have very high consumption (7,229kWh on average).
| Climate zone | Description | Example towns/regions | Average annual power consumption (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High humidity summer, warm winter | Cairns, Townsville | 5,977 |
| 2 | Warm humid summer, mild winter | Rockhampton, Brisbane, Coffs Harbour | 5,341 |
| 3 | Hot dry summer, warm winter | Mt Isa, Western Downs, Longreach | 5,977 |
| 4 | Hot dry summer, cool winter | Dubbo, Whyalla, Mildura | 6,258 |
| 5 | Warm temperate | Urban Sydney, urban Adelaide | 5,154 |
| 7 | Cool temperate | Canberra, Hobart, Yarra Ranges | 7,229 |
| 8 | Alpine | Small sections of alpine Tasmania, and the Snowy Mountains | 7,229 |
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