How much energy does the average home use?

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.

• Keep in mind. The AER's latest published residential consumption benchmark report is from December 2020, and the benchmark series is no longer required to be updated, so treat the figures below as a broad historical guide rather than current-year data.

What is the average usage by state?

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.

• See the breakdown

  State	Annual usage (kWh)	Summer usage (kWh)	Autumn usage (kWh)	Winter usage (kWh)	Spring usage (kWh)
  ACT	6,407	1,258	1,550	2,168	1,431
  NSW	5,662	1,388	1,331	1,681	1,262
  QLD	5,535	1,538	1,394	1,366	1,277
  SA	4,950	1,181	1,190	1,465	1,114
  TAS	8,619	1,536	2,049	2,915	2,119
  VIC	4,615	1,067	1,064	1,453	1,030

What about Western Australia and the Northern Territory?

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.

How does this compare with more recent data?

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.

• Note: DCCEEW reports NSW and the ACT as a single combined figure, so they can't be split out the way the AER benchmarks (above) do.

What is the average usage in capital cities based on household size?

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.

Our expert says

"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."

Dylan Crismale

Writer

How does the climate of where you live affect energy usage?

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).

• Note: Data for climate zones 1 and 3 as well as zones 7 and 8 were pooled.

How to reduce energy consumption

If you're worried about how much energy your household uses there are a couple of easy ways to start reducing your consumption.

1. 1. Switch off appliances at the power point. Even on standby power your appliances are still drawing energy from the grid. If the off switch is in an easily accessible space, reach for it - often.
   2. Take shorter showers. The less hot water you use the less energy your hot water system expends to keep it warm. You can install a system that only heats the water when it's in use.
   3. Insulate your home. Twice a year we fork out extra on our power bills to either keep cool or stay warm. Insulating and kitting out your home properly for the climate you live in is key. Also rug up in winter and opt for more comfortable clothes in summer.
   4. Adjust the thermostat. Setting your air conditioner or heater a few degrees higher or lower means it won't have to work as hard and will use less energy as a result.

Frequently asked questions

• What is the average usage by distributor

  The distributor network with the highest average usage is TasNetworks with 8,619kWh a year. The distributor network with the lowest is Jemena in Victoria with an average usage of 4,279kWh a year.

  See the full breakdown.

  State	Distributor	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Spring	Annual
  ACT	EvoEnergy	1,258	1,550	2,168	1,431	6,407
  NSW	Ausgrid	1,360	1,283	1,679	1,207	5,529
  NSW	Endeavour	1,512	1,403	1,726	1,340	5,981
  NSW	Essential	1,291	1,307	1,639	1,240	5,477
  QLD	Energex	1,513	1,380	1,324	1,264	5,481
  QLD	Ergon	1,562	1,408	1,328	1,290	5,588
  SA	SAPN	1,181	1,190	1,465	1,114	4,950
  TAS	TasNetworks	1,536	2,049	2,915	2,119	8,619
  VIC	Ausnet	1,200	1,149	1,572	1,102	5,023
  VIC	Citipower	983	999	1,394	974	4,350
  VIC	Jemena	951	987	1,383	958	4,279
  VIC	Powercor	1,134	1,124	1,531	1,090	4,879
  VIC	United	1,065	1,062	1,387	1,030	4,544

• How much energy do various appliances use?

  Here's an idea of how much energy 5 common appliances in your house might use every day, and over the course of a year.

  Just running your heater for 4 hours a day during the winter months could see it make the top of the list as your most expensive appliance costing $286 a year.

  Costs below are calculated using Ausgrid's 2026–27 Default Market Offer flat-rate usage charge of 33.14c/kWh, effective from 1 July 2026.

  Appliance	Power rating	Hourly usage	Yearly usage	Energy cost
  Desktop computer	200W	200Wh	219kWh (3 hours per day)	$73
  Electric oven	2,100W	2.1kWh	383kWh (30 minutes per day)	$127
  Electric heater	2,400W	2.4kWh	864kWh (4 hours per day in winter)	$286
  Refrigerator	68W	68Wh	596kWh (24/7)	$197
  Washing machine	900W	900Wh	93.6kWh (2 hours per week)	$31

• What is the average household electricity usage in Sydney?

  The average annual electricity usage for a household of 2 in Sydney is 5,237kWh.

  Household size	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Spring
  1	732	745	927	705
  2	1,278	1,232	1,565	1,162
  3	1,530	1,503	1,903	1,425
  4	1,819	1,717	2,148	1,627
  5+	2,158	2,082	2,761	2,007

• What is the average household electricity usage in Adelaide?

  The average annual electricity usage for a household of 3 in Adelaide is 6,171kWh.

  Household size	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Spring
  1	689	702	882	646
  2	1,234	1,190	1,520	1,103
  3	1,486	1,461	1,858	1,366
  4	1,776	1,674	2,103	1,568
  5+	2,114	2,040	2,716	1,948

• What is the average household electricity usage in Brisbane?

  The average annual electricity usage for a household of 3 in Brisbane is 6,169kWh.

  Household size	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Spring
  1	908	857	848	799
  2	1,393	1,281	1,250	1,202
  3	1,644	1,531	1,545	1,449
  4	2,074	1,935	1,873	1,800
  5+	2,430	2,182	2,153	2,038

• What is the average household electricity usage in Melbourne?

  The average annual electricity usage for a household of 3 in Melbourne is 5,077kWh.

  Household size	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Spring
  1	674	684	927	668
  2	1,112	1,125	1,493	1,110
  3	1,143	1,165	1,606	1,163
  4	1,324	1,338	1,821	1,322
  5+	1,686	1,718	2,245	1,702

• What is the average household electricity usage in Canberra?

  The average annual electricity usage for a household of 2 in Canberra is 6,107kWh.

  Household size	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Spring
  1	850	987	1,543	980
  2	1,200	1,468	2,042	1,397
  3	1,598	1,859	2,485	1,780
  4	1,745	2,303	3,313	2,181
  5+	2,058	2,492	3,313	2,287

• What is the average household electricity usage in Hobart?

  The average annual electricity usage for a household of 2 in Hobart is 8,784kWh.

  Household size	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Spring
  1	983	1,394	2,182	1,444
  2	1,581	2,109	2,950	2,144
  3	1,623	2,192	3,286	2,374
  4	1,946	2,571	3,642	2,661
  5+	2,178	2,719	3,706	2,952

Written by

Dylan Crismale

Writer

Add to Preferred Sources

Dylan Crismale was a utilities writer at Finder. Prior to joining Finder he was at Twitter, 2SER, Vertigo Magazine and Central News. See full bio

Dylan's expertise

Dylan has written 31 Finder guides across topics including:

• Electricity and gas
• Solar power
• NBN, home wireless and mobile broadband
• 4G/5G mobile plans
• Managing your household bills
• Saving on travel