Best Electricity Plans Australia 2026
A practical guide to comparing electricity plans in Australia using state benchmarks, annual cost, tariff type, solar and concessions.
Sancia PereiraEnergy Markets Analyst
The best electricity plans Australia-wide in 2026 are not one national list. A strong plan is the one with the lowest realistic annual cost for your postcode, distributor, tariff type, usage pattern, solar setup, controlled load and concession status.
Quick answer: what makes a plan best?
The best electricity plan is the one that beats the relevant benchmark for your area and still fits your household. Compare the estimated annual cost first, then check the daily supply charge, usage rate, tariff windows, solar feed-in tariff, controlled-load rate, fees and benefit period.
Use Energy Made Easy in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT. Use Victorian Energy Compare in Victoria. Then open the current retailer plan document before switching.
Why a national ranking is weak
Electricity pricing changes by state and distributor zone. New South Wales has Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy zones. South East Queensland uses Energex for the competitive market. South Australia mainly uses SA Power Networks. Victoria has CitiPower, Powercor, Jemena, AusNet Services and United Energy zones.
That means AGL, Origin, EnergyAustralia, Red Energy, Alinta, OVO, Amber, Powershop or another retailer can look different across postcodes. A plan that is strong in Brisbane may not be available in Adelaide. A plan that works in Melbourne CBD can be less attractive in regional Victoria.
The correct starting point is your bill. Find the NMI, annual kWh, tariff type, controlled load, solar exports and concession details before comparing any plan.
2026 benchmark examples to use
Benchmarks are not the cheapest plans, but they are useful reference points. In New South Wales, CompareUs' current state reference lists 2026 residential examples of $1,965 in Ausgrid for 3,900 kWh, $2,411 in Endeavour Energy for 4,900 kWh and $2,741 in Essential Energy for 4,600 kWh.
In South East Queensland, the 2026-27 Energex residential flat-rate Default Market Offer reference price is $1,988 for 4,600 kWh. The residential time-of-use and solar-sharer reference prices are $1,914.
In South Australia, the 2026-27 SA Power Networks residential flat-rate reference price is $2,334 for 4,000 kWh. The time-of-use and solar-sharer reference prices are $2,276.
In Victoria, current CompareUs VDO examples show $1,546 in CitiPower, $1,579 in United Energy, $1,638 in Jemena, $1,703 in Powercor and $1,907 in AusNet Services. Victoria uses the Victorian Default Offer instead of the AER Default Market Offer.
What to compare first
Start with estimated annual cost. This is the quickest way to combine supply charge, usage rate and tariff assumptions. Then read the plan fields behind the estimate.
Check the daily supply charge. A 20 cent per day difference is $73 a year. That matters for apartments, renters and low-usage homes.
Check the usage rate. A 3 cent per kWh difference on 5,000 kWh is $150 a year. That matters for families, electric heating, pool pumps, EV charging and work-from-home households.
Check the tariff type. Single-rate plans are simple. Time-of-use plans can reward daytime or overnight usage but punish evening peaks. Demand tariffs can add costs based on short high-use periods.
Best plan by household type
Low-usage apartments should prioritise daily supply charge and no-exit-fee terms. A high fixed charge can make a cheap usage rate poor value.
Families should prioritise the whole annual estimate because heating, cooling, laundry, cooking and electronics can push usage well above benchmark assumptions. A small usage-rate difference can become expensive.
Solar homes should compare net annual bill, not feed-in tariff alone. A plan with a higher export credit can lose if it has higher evening import rates or a higher supply charge.
EV households should estimate annual charging kWh. A car using 18 kWh per 100 km and driving 15,000 km a year needs about 2,700 kWh before charging losses. Overnight rates matter only if the car can charge in the cheap window.
Pensioners and concession customers should compare after concessions. Queensland lists a $386.34 annual Electricity Rebate for eligible customers. South Australia lists an Energy Bill Concession of up to $281.78 a year. Victoria lists an Annual Electricity Concession of 17.5% off eligible domestic mains usage and service costs.
Solar and battery checks
Solar plans need a whole-bill comparison. If one plan pays 2 cents per kWh more for exports and you export 8 kWh a day, that is about $58.40 a year. If the same plan costs 4 cents per kWh more for 8 kWh of evening imports, that is about $116.80 a year. The higher feed-in tariff loses.
Battery homes should check how much solar is still exported after charging the battery. A battery can make import rates and time windows more important than feed-in tariffs.
Victorian solar customers should note that from 1 July 2025 the Essential Services Commission no longer sets a minimum solar feed-in tariff. Retailers set their own feed-in tariffs, but they cannot be below zero.
Switching checklist
First, compare with your real postcode and annual kWh. Second, keep tariff type the same across offers. Third, check supply charge, usage rate, controlled load, solar and fees. Fourth, confirm concession details before switching.
Fifth, check whether the plan has a benefit period or conditional discount. Sixth, read the current plan document. Seventh, use /electricity to compare current offers, /calculators/electricity-cost to test usage assumptions and state pages such as /electricity/nsw, /electricity/qld, /electricity/sa and /electricity/vic for local benchmarks.
Common mistakes
The first mistake is choosing by brand. The second is chasing the lowest usage rate while ignoring the daily supply charge. The third is comparing time-of-use against single-rate without checking usage timing.
The fourth mistake is judging solar plans by feed-in tariff alone. The fifth is ignoring concessions. The sixth is using stale rate tables after annual price resets.
Sources and methodology
This guide uses current CompareUs state electricity references, Energy Made Easy, Victorian Energy Compare, Default Market Offer and Victorian Default Offer benchmark context, and practical bill calculations. It avoids naming one universal best plan because that would be misleading without an address, usage profile and plan date.
Where should you go next?
FAQs
What is the best electricity plan in Australia?
There is no single best plan nationally. The best plan depends on postcode, distributor, annual usage, tariff type, solar and concessions.
Should I compare supply charge or usage rate first?
Compare both. Low-usage homes should pay close attention to the supply charge, while high-usage homes are more sensitive to usage rates.
Are time-of-use electricity plans better?
Only if your household can shift usage into cheaper windows. Evening-heavy homes may pay more on time-of-use plans.
How do solar homes compare electricity plans?
Compare net annual bill, including import rates, supply charge, export credits and how much solar is self-consumed.
How often should I compare electricity plans?
At least once a year, and whenever prices change, you move house, install solar, buy an EV or become eligible for a concession.