Electricity cost per kWh in Australia (2026): State by state breakdown

In Australia, electricity prices are set at a state level, which means there isn't a single national electricity price.

It's more complicated than that, too. The cost per kilowatt hour (kWh) you pay depends on which electricity network you're connected to, not just which state you live in.

To help break down how it works, this guide explains what electricity costs per kWh across every state and territory, using government-published rates.

Quick facts

• On a standardised 6,500 kWh comparison, the average cost per kWh across Australia's states and territories in 2026–27 ranges from about 33.6 cents in Tasmania to about 51.6 cents in South Australia.
• New South Wales has three separate electricity networks (Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy), each with its own regulated rate. NSW does not have one single cost per kWh.
• These figures are regulated ceiling prices for standing offers. Most Australian households are on a market offer instead, and typically pay less than the rates shown here.
• Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania set prices outside the AER's Default Market Offer framework, so their rates come from separate state-based determinations.

What "cost per kWh" actually means

An electricity bill is made up of two charges. The supply charge is a fixed daily fee for staying connected to the grid, billed in cents per day regardless of how much electricity you use.

The usage charge, billed in cents per kilowatt hour (c/kWh), is what you pay for the electricity you actually consume.

When people ask what electricity costs per kWh, they're usually asking about the usage charge. But two households on the same usage rate can end up with different total bills if their daily supply charges differ, so a full cost comparison needs to look at both numbers together, not just the usage rate.

Electricity cost per kWh by distributor, 2026–27

Here's what electricity actually costs per kilowatt hour on a standard flat-rate plan, by network, based on the regulated caps and published tariffs for 2026–27. 

Average electricity cost per kWh by state, 2026–27

While the usage rate can vary dramatically, understanding the average total cost of electricity per kwh needs to consider the supply charges as well.

The table below gives a single blended figure for each state and territory: the total annual bill (supply charge and usage charge combined) divided by 6,500 kWh of annual usage.

This is the same standardised usage level the Australian Capital Territory's regulator, the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission (ICRC), uses each year to compare electricity prices across jurisdictions, since every state's own regulator uses a different usage assumption and their headline dollar figures aren't otherwise comparable.

Western Australia sits outside the National Electricity Market, so its figure here is calculated separately from Synergy's published residential tariff at the same usage level, not an official government comparison figure.

This blended figure includes the supply charge, so it's a better "all in" cost per kWh rather than just the usage rate. 

South Australia's higher cost per kWh reflects its higher wholesale and network costs and its distance from the rest of the National Electricity Market. Tasmania's lower cost per kWh reflects the state's access to hydroelectric generation, which keeps wholesale costs down relative to the mainland.

Flat rate vs time-of-use: which one affects your cost per kWh

For easier comparison, every rate in this guide is for a flat-rate (single rate) tariff, where you pay the same cost per kWh no matter what time you use electricity.

Many households, particularly those with smart meters, are instead on a time-of-use tariff, where the cost per kWh changes depending on whether you're using electricity during peak, off-peak, or shoulder periods.

Time-of-use pricing can work out cheaper or more expensive than a flat rate, depending on when your household actually uses electricity. Our guide to peak and off-peak electricity times breaks down the exact hours for each network and explains which pricing structure tends to suit which kind of household.

Why the cost per kWh on your bill is different

For comparison purposes, every rate in this guide is a regulated maximum, not a typical price.

In the three states covered by the AER's Default Market Offer (NSW, South East Queensland, SA), only around 8% of households remain on a standing offer at these capped rates. The rest are on market offers, which are set independently by retailers and are generally priced below the regulated cap.

If you have solar panels, your effective cost per kWh also depends on your feed-in tariff and how much of your usage you can shift to daylight hours. Our guide to solar feed-in tariffs by state covers current rates.

Households in NSW, South East Queensland, or South Australia may also be eligible for the new Solar Sharer Offer, which provides three hours of free electricity a day.

And if cost of living is the main concern, our guide to electricity rebates covers the current federal and state rebates that apply on top of whatever plan you're on.