Bill busters: 8.1 million Australians draw up house rules to conserve energy
Key takeaways
- 38% of Aussies are laying down the law at home to save on power.
- 1 in 5 are planning to implement house rules.
- How to save on your energy bill.
Australians are being forced to set household rules around energy use as soaring costs push budgets to the limit, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,010 respondents revealed almost 2 in 5 Australians (38%) – equivalent to 8.1 million people – admit they have implemented 'house rules' to keep a cap on energy costs this year.
A further 20% say they plan to start implementing rules to reduce upcoming power bills.
Mariam Gabaji, utilities expert at Finder, said the findings show just how much financial pressure energy bills are placing on Australian households.
"People are rationing heat and light in their own homes – that tells you everything about how stretched budgets have become.
"With federal government rebates now finished, households are feeling the full force of electricity bills."
Gabaji said it was encouraging that so many Australians were taking action, but warned that behavioural changes alone would only go so far.
"Shorter showers, lights-off checks, and skipping the dryer can take the edge off your bill, but if you're on a poor-value plan you're missing out on much bigger changes.
"The single biggest thing most Australians can do is compare their energy plan – switching to a better rate can save hundreds of dollars a year without changing a single habit.
"As energy price changes come into effect from 1 July, households should take a moment to review their plan and make sure they're still on the best deal available to them."
Separate Finder research shows almost half (48%) of Aussies expect their energy bills to be higher in 12 months.
Have you implemented any 'house rules' to keep energy costs down this year (e.g. shorter showers, lights-off checks, using the heater less, etc)
| Yes | 38% |
| No, but I am planning to do this | 20% |
| No, and I'm not planning to do this | 28% |
| I live alone / I don't share a household | 14% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,010 respondents, May 2026 |  |
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 90,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,010 respondents from May 2026.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
Credits
- PR & Insights research team: Taylor Blackburn, Kate Boddington, Natascha Kwiet-Evans, William Capada
- Survey operation: Qualtrics
Sources
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