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Electricity Bill for a All-electric family house in Australia (2026)
A family of four whose heating and hot water are electric, with a heat pump or resistance heating and an electric water heater. Heating and hot water are the bill; appliances are a minority.
A all-electric family house uses about 7,311 kWh of electricity a year. At Australia prices of A$0.35 per kWh (source: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27, 2026-07), that is A$213.24 per month, or A$2,559 per year.
Benchmark: Australian Energy Regulator, Residential energy consumption benchmarks (Frontier Economics, December 2020), temperate climate zone (Sydney), households without a swimming pool: 4 people. Data as of 2020-12. It covers all electricity use including cooling and any electric heating; cool-climate zones (Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart) run 10 to 60% higher.
Where the electricity goes
- Heating & cooling 40%
- Water heating 21%
- Refrigeration & freezing 10%
- Other appliances 9%
- Lighting 6%
- TV, computing & network 6%
- Washing, drying & dishwashing 6%
- Cooking 3%
| End use | Per year | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating & cooling | 2,924 kWh | A$1,024 | 40% |
| Water heating | 1,535 kWh | A$537.36 | 21% |
| Refrigeration & freezing | 709 kWh | A$248.21 | 10% |
| Cooking | 205 kWh | A$71.65 | 3% |
| Washing, drying & dishwashing | 409 kWh | A$143.30 | 6% |
| TV, computing & network | 424 kWh | A$148.41 | 6% |
| Lighting | 439 kWh | A$153.53 | 6% |
| Other appliances | 665 kWh | A$232.86 | 9% |
End-use shares: Australian Government YourHome: heating and cooling about 40% and water heating 15 to 27% of household energy, lighting 5 to 10%. Appliance sub-split derived from US RECS proportions. These are energy shares, not electricity shares, and are approximate. Some of these shares are derived rather than published; see the note.
Through the day
What drives this household's bill
- Space heating and hot water are typically half to two-thirds of the total, and they depend on insulation and climate more than on anything you plug in.
- A heat pump instead of resistance heating cuts the heating share by half or more.
- Lower the water heater to 55 to 60 C and fit low-flow showerheads before touching any appliance.
Appliance by appliance
Each end-use bucket above is spread over this household's appliances in proportion to their typical use, never at more than twice that use. What the listed appliances cannot account for appears as "not listed" rows, so the table still adds up to the official figures. Hours are implied, not measured.
| Appliance | End use | Typical | Hours/day | Per year | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Refrigeration & freezing | 150 W | 7.8 h | 426 kWh | A$148.93 |
| LED Light Bulb ×18 | Lighting | 9 W | 5.4 h | 320 kWh | A$112.04 |
| Chest Freezer | Refrigeration & freezing | 100 W | 7.8 h | 284 kWh | A$99.28 |
| Clothes Dryer | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 3,000 W | 13 min | 234 kWh | A$81.88 |
| Hair Dryer ×2 | Other appliances | 1,800 W | 9 min | 197 kWh | A$68.98 |
| Desktop Computer | TV, computing & network | 150 W | 2.3 h | 127 kWh | A$44.40 |
| Outdoor Security Floodlight | Lighting | 30 W | 10.8 h | 119 kWh | A$41.49 |
| Dishwasher | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 13 min | 117 kWh | A$40.94 |
| Vacuum Cleaner | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 91 kWh | A$31.94 |
| Television ×2 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 1.2 h | 85 kWh | A$29.60 |
| Laptop ×2 | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 2.3 h | 76 kWh | A$26.64 |
| Induction Cooktop ×1.5 | Cooking | 1,800 W | 4 min | 73 kWh | A$25.54 |
| Electric Oven | Cooking | 2,500 W | 4 min | 68 kWh | A$23.65 |
| Washing Machine ×1.5 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 13 min | 58 kWh | A$20.47 |
| Gaming Console (PS5, Xbox) | TV, computing & network | 180 W | 52 min | 57 kWh | A$19.98 |
| Electric Lawn Mower (Corded or Battery) | Other appliances | 1,200 W | 6 min | 44 kWh | A$15.33 |
| Computer Monitor | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 2.3 h | 25 kWh | A$8.88 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 7.0 h | 25 kWh | A$8.88 |
| Air Fryer | Cooking | 1,500 W | 2 min | 20 kWh | A$7.09 |
| Electric Kettle ×2 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 1 min | 16 kWh | A$5.68 |
| Smart Speaker ×2 | TV, computing & network | 3 W | 7.0 h | 15 kWh | A$5.33 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 2 min | 14 kWh | A$4.73 |
| Microwave ×1.5 | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 10 kWh | A$3.55 |
| Phone Charger ×4 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 35 min | 8 kWh | A$2.96 |
| Toaster ×1.5 | Cooking | 1,000 W | 0 min | 4 kWh | A$1.42 |
| Garage Door Opener | Other appliances | 500 W | 1 min | 4 kWh | A$1.28 |
| Streaming Stick or Box ×2 | TV, computing & network | 4 W | 1.2 h | 3 kWh | A$1.18 |
| Printer (Inkjet or Laser) | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 9 min | 2 kWh | A$0.56 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 330 kWh | A$115.33 |
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The same household in other countries
| Country | Official benchmark | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (average) | 13,073 kWh | $2,353 | $196.09 |
| United Kingdom | 6,100 kWh | £1,586 | £132.17 |
| Germany | 4,700 kWh | €1,739 | €144.92 |
| France | 13,290 kWh | €2,658 | €221.50 |
| Australia | 7,311 kWh | A$2,559 | A$213.24 |
| Canada (average) | 17,750 kWh | C$2,485 | C$207.08 |
Each row uses that country's own regulator benchmark and average price, in local currency. Differences reflect climate, heating fuel and appliance ownership as much as price.