Electricity prices set to go up 1 July – which state cops it the hardest?
The final decision on electricity prices for 2025–2026 has been announced, and it's bad news for households in SA, South East QLD, VIC, and especially NSW.
The energy regulators have released their final 2025–2026 default offer electricity prices, which will come into effect on 1 July 2025.
Power prices will increase by up to 9.7% or $280 for the year for households and up to $489 for small businesses.
However, the actual impact will vary between states, and, if you're in NSW or VIC, between your distribution zone.
The increases are softer for QLD, SA and VIC compared to the draft decision announced in March 2025.
What's a default offer?
Power price changes for NSW, QLD and SA
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) is responsible for setting electricity prices in these states.
As you can see from the table, prices are going up anywhere between 0.5% to 9.7%, with NSW copping the worst of the price hikes.
Good to know: A controlled load is an electricity tariff that offers separate metering for appliances like hot water systems or pool pumps.
| State/Network | Without controlled load (Residential) | With controlled load (Residential) | Small business without controlled load |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW (Ausgrid) | $1,965 (8.6% or +$155) | $2,717 (8.3% or +$208) | $4,977 (7.9% or +$365) |
| NSW (Endeavour) | $2,411 (8.5% or +$188) | $3,072 (9.7% or +$271) | $4,775 (8% or +$353) |
| NSW (Essential) | $2,741 (9.1% or +$228) | $3,211 (9.6% or +$280) | $6,222 (8.5% or +$489) |
| QLD (Energex) | $2,143 (3.7% or +$77) | $2,425 (0.5% or +$11) | $4,294 (4.2% or +$33) |
| SA (SA Power Networks) | $2,301 (3.2% or +$71) | $2,821 (2.3% or +$64) | $5,541 (3.5% or +$189) |
Don't wait for 1 July to start saving on your energy bills.
Compare energy plans to find a cheaper deal.
Electricity price changes for VIC
Victoria's energy regulator, the Essential Services Commission (ESC), announced that, on average, VDO prices are expected to go up by $20 (or 1%) across the five electricity distribution zones.
| AusNet | CitiPower | Jemena | Powercor | United Energy | Victorian average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 (final decision) | $1,902 | $1,456 | $1,664 | $1,699 | $1,554 | $1,655 |
| 2025–26 (final decision) | $1,908 | $1,546 | $1,638 | $1,703 | $1,579 | $1,675 |
| Change in $ | $6 | $90 | -$26 | $4 | $25 | $20 |
| Change in % | 0.3% | 6.2% | -1.6% | 0.2% | 1.6% | 1.2% |
For small businesses on a VDO, annual prices will rise by $90 across the five distribution zones to $3,620.
According to the ESC, 348,000 households and 55,000 small businesses are on a default offer in VIC.
Why are electricity prices still going up?
Once again, there's no reprieve for Aussies continuously grappling with the cost of living.
"We know this is not welcome news for consumers in the current cost-of-living environment," says AER chair, Clare Savage, in a media release.
"As noted in our draft determination, sustained pressures across almost all components of the DMO have driven these price rises, with wholesale and network costs rising in most jurisdictions between 1% and 11%, and retail costs between 8% and 35% compared with last year."
So, what can I do to soften the power price pain?
The best and easiest way to save money is by comparing energy plans to get a better offer.
While the DMO protects consumers on standing offers that can’t or don’t engage in the market, as of this month 90% to 95% of competitive market offers are below the current DMO price. On average, the lowest offers across DMO regions are between 18% and 27% cheaper.
Even if you aren't on a default offer but haven't compared plans from different providers in over 12 months, you could be overpaying.
There's as much as a $500 to $700 a year price gap between the cheapest and most expensive electricity plans in our database.
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