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Single person in an apartment vs Family of four in a house: Electricity Use Compared in Australia (2026)

A family of four uses roughly two to three times the electricity of a single person, not four times. The fridge, router, lighting and standby loads are shared, so each extra person adds less than the first. Per head, the single person is the most expensive household there is.

In Australia, single person in an apartment uses about 3,109 kWh a year (A$90.68 a month) and family of four in a house about 7,311 kWh (A$213.24 a month). That is 2.4× as much, or A$122.56 more per month. Per person: 3,109 kWh vs 1,828 kWh a year.

Sources: Australian Energy Regulator, Residential energy consumption benchmarks (Frontier Economics, December 2020), temperate climate zone (Sydney), households without a swimming pool: 1 person. Australian Energy Regulator, Residential energy consumption benchmarks (Frontier Economics, December 2020), temperate climate zone (Sydney), households without a swimming pool: 4 people. Priced at A$0.35 per kWh (AER Default Market Offer 2026–27, 2026-07).

Where the difference comes from

CategorySingle person in an apartmentFamily of four in a houseDifference
Heating & cooling1,244 kWh2,924 kWh+1,680
Water heating653 kWh1,535 kWh+882
Refrigeration & freezing302 kWh709 kWh+407
Cooking87 kWh205 kWh+118
Washing, drying & dishwashing174 kWh409 kWh+235
TV, computing & network180 kWh424 kWh+244
Lighting187 kWh439 kWh+252
Other appliances283 kWh665 kWh+382

Only in the family of four in a house

Only in the single person in an apartment

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The same comparison in other countries

CountrySingle person in an apartmentFamily of four in a houseRatioExtra per month
United States (average)7,18413,0721.8×$88.32
United Kingdom1,6003,8002.4×£47.67
Germany1,2003,8003.2×€80.17
France1,9056,0343.2×€68.82
Australia3,1097,3112.4×A$122.56
Canada (average)6,58312,6941.9×C$71.30

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