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Family of four in a house vs Family of five or more in a house: Electricity Use Compared in Australia (2026)

A fifth person adds less than the fourth did. Larger families use more, mostly through laundry, a second fridge and more screens, but the per-person figure keeps falling. The US and Australian benchmarks show the step from four to five people is around 10 to 20 percent.

In Australia, family of four in a house uses about 7,311 kWh a year (A$213.24 a month) and family of five or more in a house about 9,008 kWh (A$262.73 a month). That is 1.2× as much, or A$49.50 more per month. Per person: 1,828 kWh vs 1,802 kWh a year.

Sources: Australian Energy Regulator, Residential energy consumption benchmarks (Frontier Economics, December 2020), temperate climate zone (Sydney), households without a swimming pool: 4 people. Australian Energy Regulator, Residential energy consumption benchmarks (Frontier Economics, December 2020), temperate climate zone (Sydney), households without a swimming pool: 5+ people. Priced at A$0.35 per kWh (AER Default Market Offer 2026–27, 2026-07).

Where the difference comes from

CategoryFamily of four in a houseFamily of five or more in a houseDifference
Heating & cooling2,924 kWh3,603 kWh+679
Water heating1,535 kWh1,892 kWh+357
Refrigeration & freezing709 kWh874 kWh+165
Cooking205 kWh252 kWh+47
Washing, drying & dishwashing409 kWh504 kWh+95
TV, computing & network424 kWh522 kWh+98
Lighting439 kWh540 kWh+101
Other appliances665 kWh820 kWh+155

Only in the family of five or more in a house

Only in the family of four in a house

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The same comparison in other countries

CountryFamily of four in a houseFamily of five or more in a houseRatioExtra per month
United States (average)13,07214,3361.1×$18.96
United Kingdom3,8003,8001.0×£0.000
Germany3,8004,5001.2×€21.58
France6,0347,1451.2×€18.52
Australia7,3119,0081.2×A$49.50
Canada (average)12,69412,6941.0×C$0.000

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