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Electricity Bill for a Couple in an apartment in Australia (2026)
Two adults in a flat, both working, cooking most evenings. A dishwasher and a second laptop appear, the washing machine runs more often, and the TV is on longer.
A couple in an apartment uses about 5,237 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$152.75 per month, or A$1,833 per year.
Benchmark: Australian Energy Regulator, Residential energy consumption benchmarks (Frontier Economics, December 2020), temperate climate zone (Sydney), households without a swimming pool: 2 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 | 2,095 kWh | A$733.18 | 40% |
| Water heating | 1,100 kWh | A$384.92 | 21% |
| Refrigeration & freezing | 508 kWh | A$177.80 | 10% |
| Cooking | 147 kWh | A$51.32 | 3% |
| Washing, drying & dishwashing | 293 kWh | A$102.65 | 6% |
| TV, computing & network | 304 kWh | A$106.31 | 6% |
| Lighting | 314 kWh | A$109.98 | 6% |
| Other appliances | 477 kWh | A$166.80 | 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.
What drives this household's bill
- The second person adds far less than double: the fridge, router and lighting are shared.
- Dishwasher plus washing machine are the swing items; eco cycles cut both by a third.
- A desktop or gaming PC instead of laptops can add a quarter to the total.
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 | 9.3 h | 508 kWh | A$177.80 |
| LED Light Bulb ×8 | Lighting | 9 W | 10.0 h | 263 kWh | A$91.98 |
| Dishwasher ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 34 min | 220 kWh | A$76.98 |
| Laptop ×2 | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 3.6 h | 118 kWh | A$41.42 |
| Hair Dryer | Other appliances | 1,800 W | 9 min | 99 kWh | A$34.49 |
| Television ×1.3 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 1.8 h | 85 kWh | A$29.91 |
| Washing Machine ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 34 min | 73 kWh | A$25.66 |
| Vacuum Cleaner ×0.7 | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 64 kWh | A$22.36 |
| Induction Cooktop | Cooking | 1,800 W | 6 min | 61 kWh | A$21.24 |
| Electric Oven ×0.5 | Cooking | 2,500 W | 6 min | 42 kWh | A$14.75 |
| Computer Monitor | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 3.6 h | 39 kWh | A$13.81 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 10.8 h | 39 kWh | A$13.81 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 3 min | 17 kWh | A$5.90 |
| Electric Kettle ×1.5 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 1 min | 15 kWh | A$5.31 |
| Smart Speaker | TV, computing & network | 3 W | 10.8 h | 12 kWh | A$4.14 |
| Microwave | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 8 kWh | A$2.95 |
| Phone Charger ×2 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 54 min | 7 kWh | A$2.30 |
| Toaster | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 3 kWh | A$1.18 |
| Streaming Stick or Box | TV, computing & network | 4 W | 1.8 h | 3 kWh | A$0.92 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 314 kWh | A$109.95 |
| Additional lights and fittings | Lighting | – | – | 51 kWh | A$18.00 |
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The same household in other countries
| Country | Official benchmark | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (average) | 10,648 kWh | $1,917 | $159.72 |
| United Kingdom | 2,500 kWh | £650.00 | £54.17 |
| Germany | 1,900 kWh | €703.00 | €58.58 |
| France | 3,017 kWh | €603.40 | €50.28 |
| Australia | 5,237 kWh | A$1,833 | A$152.75 |
| Canada (average) | 7,417 kWh | C$1,038 | C$86.53 |
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.