Free Australian running cost calculator · No sign-up · Runs entirely in your browser
Estimate what each appliance costs to run in Australian dollars, per day, week, month and year. Enter your own rate from your bill for an accurate result.
| Period | kWh | Cost (AUD) |
|---|
Australian electricity prices are among the highest in the world. Average rates in 2025: NSW ~$0.28–0.32/kWh, VIC ~$0.24–0.30/kWh, QLD ~$0.24–0.28/kWh, SA ~$0.35–0.45/kWh, WA ~$0.29/kWh.
Almost every electricity calculator online gives you the usage figure and stops. An Australian bill has two components, and missing the second is why estimates so often come in low.
| Component | What it is | Typical |
|---|---|---|
| Daily supply charge | A fixed fee for being connected to the network. Charged every day whether you use power or not | $0.90–$1.30/day |
| Usage charge | What you consume, in cents per kilowatt-hour | 28–40 c/kWh |
The calculator above handles the usage half, which is the part you can actually change. Add your own supply charge from your bill to get the full picture.
A kilowatt-hour is one kilowatt of power drawn for one hour. It is a unit of energy, not power — power is the rate, energy is the accumulated total.
| 1 kWh will run | For about |
|---|---|
| A 10 W LED bulb | 100 hours |
| A 150 W fridge | 6.7 hours |
| A 2,000 W air conditioner | 30 minutes |
| A 2,400 W heater | 25 minutes |
| An electric vehicle | About 5.5 km |
The pattern worth internalising: anything that makes heat or cold dominates a bill. Electronics and lighting barely register by comparison.
Two developments this year matter for anyone estimating a bill, and most calculators have not caught up with either.
The Australian Energy Regulator released its Default Market Offer for 2026–27 in May, taking effect 1 July. Residential benchmark prices fell in most regions — down 3.4% to 7.7% in New South Wales, 10.7% in South East Queensland, and roughly flat in South Australia. The determination also introduced tariff caps for the first time, limiting not just annual bills but the maximum daily supply charge and usage rate a retailer may charge on a standing offer.
Australia does not have one electricity market, and that is why rates vary so much. Five states and the ACT trade through the National Electricity Market; Western Australia and the Northern Territory operate separately, and Tasmania has its own arrangements despite being connected.
| Region | Price regulation | Indicative rate |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | AER Default Market Offer | ~30–35 c/kWh |
| South East Queensland | AER Default Market Offer | ~30–34 c/kWh |
| South Australia | AER Default Market Offer | ~34–40 c/kWh — consistently the highest in the NEM |
| Victoria | Victorian Default Offer (Essential Services Commission) | ~28 c/kWh — among the lowest, now on mandated time-of-use |
| ACT | Regulated by the ICRC | Check your retailer — separate arrangements from the DMO |
| Regional Queensland | Queensland Competition Authority | Uniform tariff policy; differs from South East Queensland |
| Tasmania | Tasmanian Economic Regulator | Check your bill — strong hydro generation, own price path |
| Western Australia | State government sets tariffs (Synergy) | Outside the NEM entirely |
| Northern Territory | Government-regulated (Jacana Energy) | Outside the NEM entirely |
Rates above are indicative for competitive market offers and move with each annual determination. The only figure that matters for your own calculation is the one printed on your bill.
| Flat rate | Time of use | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | One price, any hour | Different prices by time of day |
| Requires | Any meter | A smart meter |
| Peak | — | Typically late afternoon to evening, and the most expensive |
| Off-peak | — | Overnight, and the cheapest |
| Suits | Households that cannot shift usage | Anyone who can run big loads overnight or midday |
If you are on time of use, this calculator's single rate will not reflect your bill accurately. Run it separately for the loads you can shift and the loads you cannot, using the relevant rate for each — that comparison is usually the fastest way to see whether shifting is worth the effort.
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If the label has worn off or the appliance is buried in a cupboard, start here. These are typical ratings for Australian 230 V appliances — use them as a starting point, then check your own plate if the appliance is a large one.
| Appliance | Typical watts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heating, cooling and hot water | ||
| Electric hot water (storage) | 3,600 W | Usually on a controlled-load tariff overnight |
| Electric oven | 2,000–2,500 W | Element cycles, so average is lower |
| Portable electric heater | 1,200–2,400 W | The most expensive way to heat a room |
| Split-system air conditioner | 1,000–3,500 W | Inverter models modulate well below rating |
| Ducted air conditioning | 4,000–8,000 W | Zoning makes a large difference |
| Ceiling fan | 50–75 W | Roughly 2% of an air conditioner |
| Kitchen | ||
| Kettle | 2,000–2,200 W | Capped near 2,200 W to stay inside a 10 A outlet |
| Toaster | 800–1,200 W | High wattage, very short run time |
| Microwave | 1,000–1,500 W | Input power, not the cooking figure on the front |
| Dishwasher | 1,200–1,800 W | Most of it is heating water |
| Refrigerator (400 L) | 100–200 W | Compressor cycles; averages far less |
| Chest freezer | 100–200 W | Runs continuously, so annual cost adds up |
| Laundry | ||
| Washing machine (cold) | 150–500 W | Low unless you select a hot wash |
| Washing machine (hot) | 1,800–2,400 W | Heating the water is nearly all of it |
| Clothes dryer (vented) | 2,000–2,700 W | Heat pump dryers use roughly half |
| Electronics and lighting | ||
| Laptop | 45–90 W | Charger rating; actual draw is usually lower |
| Desktop PC | 150–300 W | Idle draw is much lower than the peak |
| Gaming PC | 400–750 W | Only under load |
| TV, 55-inch LED | 100–150 W | OLED and larger panels draw more |
| Modem and router | 10–15 W | Small, but runs 24/7 |
| LED bulb | 6–12 W | Replaces a 50 W halogen |
| Halogen downlight | 35–50 W | Worth replacing on running cost alone |
| Outdoor and other | ||
| Pool pump | 750–1,500 W | Often run far longer than necessary |
| EV charger (home) | 2,400–7,400 W | 7 kW is a typical single-phase wallbox |
Indicative figures at 32c/kWh. Your own wattages and hours will differ, but the ranking holds almost everywhere.
| Appliance | Rating | Assumed use | kWh/week | Per week | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LED bulb (10 W) | 10 W | 6 h × 7 d | 0.4 | $0.13 | $7 |
| Modem/router | 12 W | 24 h × 7 d | 2.0 | $0.65 | $34 |
| TV, 55-inch LED | 120 W | 4 h × 7 d | 3.4 | $1.08 | $56 |
| Refrigerator (400 L) | 150 W | 24 h × 7 d | 25.2 | $8.06 | $419 |
| Washing machine | 500 W | 1 h × 3 d | 1.5 | $0.48 | $25 |
| Dishwasher | 1,200 W | 1 h × 5 d | 6.0 | $1.92 | $100 |
| Clothes dryer (vented) | 2,400 W | 1 h × 3 d | 7.2 | $2.30 | $120 |
| Split-system A/C (cooling) | 2,000 W | 8 h × 7 d | 112.0 | $35.84 | $1,864 |
| Electric heater (portable) | 2,400 W | 6 h × 7 d | 100.8 | $32.26 | $1,677 |
| Hot water (electric storage) | 3,600 W | 3 h × 7 d | 75.6 | $24.19 | $1,258 |
| Pool pump | 1,100 W | 8 h × 7 d | 61.6 | $19.71 | $1,025 |
| EV charging (home, 7 kW) | 7,000 W | 3 h × 4 d | 84.0 | $26.88 | $1,398 |
A 2,000 W split system running eight hours a day through summer.
| Rate | Per week | Per quarter | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 c/kWh (Victoria) | $31.36 | $407.68 | $1,630.72 |
| 32 c/kWh (mid-range) | $35.84 | $465.92 | $1,863.68 |
| 38 c/kWh (South Australia) | $42.56 | $553.28 | $2,213.12 |
112 kWh a week either way — the only difference is the rate. That spread of nearly $600 a year for identical usage is why comparing retailers matters, and why the same appliance advice does not apply equally across states.
An EV using 18 kWh per 100 km over 15,000 km a year consumes 2,700 kWh — roughly a third of a typical household's annual usage.
| Where you charge | Rate | Annual cost |
|---|---|---|
| Off-peak overnight or excess solar | ~10 c/kWh | $270 |
| Flat-rate home charging | 32 c/kWh | $864 |
| Public DC fast charging | ~55 c/kWh | $1,485 |
For comparison, a petrol car at 8 L/100km over the same distance costs well over $2,000 a year at current pump prices — see the fuel cost calculator.
Rooftop solar changes the arithmetic in a way many people get backwards. The value is not in what you export — feed-in tariffs have fallen substantially — it is in the electricity you do not buy.
| What happens to a solar kWh | What it is worth |
|---|---|
| Used in your home immediately | The full retail rate you avoid paying — 28–40c |
| Exported to the grid | The feed-in tariff, typically a few cents |
A kilowatt-hour you consume yourself is worth several times one you export. That is why the practical advice for solar households is to run big loads in the middle of the day — dishwasher, washing machine, pool pump, EV charging — rather than overnight. It is the same logic behind the Solar Sharer Offer, applied to your own roof.
Ordered by how much they typically move a bill, rather than by how often they get repeated.
| Measure | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Moderate your thermostat | Around 24–26°C in summer and 18–20°C in winter. Every degree closer to the outside temperature cuts run time on the largest load in the house |
| Choose an inverter air conditioner | Fixed-speed units cycle on and off at full power; inverters modulate to hold temperature, using substantially less once the room is cool |
| Wash in cold water | Heating the water is nearly all of a hot wash's energy — a machine drops from around 2,000 W to a few hundred |
| Run full loads | A dishwasher or washing machine uses close to the same energy half-full as full, so half-loads roughly double the cost per item |
| Replace halogen downlights with LED | A 50 W halogen becomes a 7 W LED for the same light — and halogens also add heat your air conditioner then removes |
| Trim pool pump hours | Many run several hours longer than the pool needs. It is a large, continuous load and among the easiest to reduce |
| Line-dry where you can | A vented dryer is one of the highest-wattage appliances in the house. A heat pump dryer uses roughly half if you need one |
| Check the hot water tariff | Electric storage hot water on a controlled-load tariff is billed at a much lower rate. Worth confirming yours is on one |
| Smart plugs for standby | Genuine but small — a few dollars a month. Worth doing once the larger items are handled |
How do I calculate electricity cost?
Divide the appliance's wattage by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate. A 2,000 W air conditioner running 8 hours uses 16 kWh, which at 32c/kWh costs $5.12. Add your daily supply charge separately for a full bill estimate.
What is a kilowatt-hour?
A kilowatt-hour is the energy used by a 1,000 W appliance running for one hour. It is the unit electricity retailers bill in. One kWh will run a 10 W LED for about 100 hours, a fridge for around seven hours, or a 2,000 W air conditioner for half an hour.
How much does electricity cost in Australia?
Usage rates typically run from around 28c/kWh in Victoria to 40c/kWh in South Australia on competitive market offers, plus a daily supply charge of roughly $0.90 to $1.30. Rates vary by state, retailer and plan, so the figure on your own bill is the only one that matters for your calculations.
What is the Default Market Offer?
The DMO is a price cap set annually by the Australian Energy Regulator for customers on standing offers in New South Wales, South East Queensland and South Australia. It is also the reference price retailers advertise against. It is a ceiling rather than a typical price — competitive market offers commonly sit 18–27% below it.
What is the Solar Sharer Offer?
Introduced as part of the 2026–27 Default Market Offer, it provides three hours of free electricity each day — 11am to 2pm in NSW and South East Queensland, 12pm to 3pm in South Australia — in exchange for slightly higher rates at other times. It rewards shifting loads such as dishwashers, pool pumps and EV charging into the middle of the day when solar generation is abundant.
Why does my bill include a charge even when I use nothing?
That is the daily supply charge, a fixed fee for being connected to the network. It applies every day regardless of consumption and totals roughly $330 to $475 a year. It is why an empty holiday home still receives a bill, and why reducing usage has a practical floor.
What uses the most electricity at home?
Anything that produces heat or cold. Heating and cooling usually top the list, followed by hot water, then pool pumps where fitted. Electronics, lighting and standby power are minor by comparison — a year of running a modem costs about as much as three days of air conditioning.
How much does an air conditioner cost to run?
A 2,000 W split system running eight hours a day uses 112 kWh a week. At 32c/kWh that is about $35.84 a week, or roughly $466 a quarter if run at that rate throughout. Inverter units modulate rather than running at full power continuously, so real consumption is often lower than the rated figure suggests.
How much does it cost to charge an electric vehicle?
An EV using 18 kWh per 100 km over 15,000 km a year needs about 2,700 kWh. That is roughly $270 a year on off-peak or excess solar, $864 on a flat home rate, or around $1,485 relying on public fast charging. Where and when you charge matters far more than which car you drive.
How much do solar panels save?
The saving comes mainly from electricity you avoid buying rather than what you export. A kilowatt-hour used in your own home is worth the full retail rate you did not pay — 28 to 40 cents — while an exported one earns only the feed-in tariff, typically a few cents. Running large loads during daylight is what turns a solar system into savings.
Should I switch to a time-of-use tariff?
It depends entirely on whether you can shift usage. If you can run the dishwasher, washing machine, pool pump or EV charger overnight or in the middle of the day, time of use will usually save money. If your consumption is concentrated in the late-afternoon peak, a flat rate may serve you better. Victorian customers now have time-of-use pricing mandated under the 2026–27 default offer.
How do I reduce my electricity bill?
In rough order of impact: compare retailers and move off a standing offer, moderate heating and cooling settings, shift large loads to off-peak or midday, check whether your hot water is on a controlled-load tariff, and trim pool pump hours. Standby power is worth addressing but will not meaningfully change a large bill.
Almost everything on this page comes back to two figures: your usage rate in cents per kilowatt-hour, and your daily supply charge. Find them on your bill, put the rate into the calculator above, and add the supply charge yourself. That gives you a realistic estimate rather than an optimistic one.
From there, the Ohm's Law calculator converts between volts, amps and watts if an appliance lists current rather than power, and the voltage drop calculator covers losses in long cable runs.