Sweating the bills: 71% of Aussies take action to save on electricity costs this summer
From switching off the lights to taking cold showers, millions of Australians are tightening their energy usage to get ahead of soaring summer power bills, according to new research by Finder.
A Finder survey of 1,007 respondents revealed 71% of Australians – equivalent to 15.2 million people – are taking action to lower the cost of their summer electricity bill.
Almost half (47%) are switching off the lights more, while a whopping 38% are cutting down how much they use their air conditioning.
Keeping the blinds down (29%), using the fan less (17%), and taking cold showers (15%) round out the top 5 ways Aussies are trying to slash their bill.
Mariam Gabaji, utilities expert at Finder, said rising costs are forcing many households to rethink how they use power.
"Australians are having to get creative to stop summer energy bills from blowing out.
"Budgets are so tight that even long held routines are being assessed to keep expenses under control."
Finder's research shows just 13% of Australians are planning to switch energy providers.
Gabaji said shopping around for a better deal was one of the quickest ways to save.
"Some energy bills are far more competitive than others.
"There's as much as a $370-690 a year difference between the cheapest and most expensive plans in our database."
Gabaji said beyond comparing energy providers, there are a few practical, low-effort ways to stay cool without breaking the bank.
"Being intentional with your energy use goes a long way.
"Switch off appliances at the wall, don't be afraid to use a fan as they're fairly cheap to run, and keep your air conditioner temperature between 24-26 degrees as it'll help your appliance run more efficiently."
Gabaji said small lifestyle tweaks can also ease the strain.
"Wearing lighter fabrics, keeping chilled water on hand, or using cold packs can make the heat a little more bearable."
Are you doing any of the following to save money on your summer energy/electricity bill?
| Switching off the lights more | 47% |
| Cutting down how much I use my airconditioning | 38% |
| Keeping the blinds down | 29% |
| Using the fan less | 17% |
| Taking cold showers | 15% |
| Switching energy/electricity providers | 13% |
| Not running my pool pump as often | 8% |
| Going into the office more often | 4% |
| I don't plan to cut down on my energy/electricity usage | 29% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,010 respondents, November 2025 |  |
Sources
Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,010 respondents from November 2025.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
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