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Electricity Bill for a Couple in a house in Australia (2026)
Two adults in a detached or semi-detached house. More rooms to light, a tumble dryer, a second fridge or freezer in the garage, and often a home office.
A couple in a house 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.
Through the day
What drives this household's bill
- A house adds a dryer, a freezer and outdoor lighting, which is why two people in a house use about 40 percent more than two in a flat.
- If either person works from home, a desktop and monitor run eight hours a day.
- Garden tools and a pressure washer add little; a hot tub or pool pump adds a lot.
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 | 5.6 h | 305 kWh | A$106.68 |
| LED Light Bulb ×14 | Lighting | 9 W | 4.6 h | 213 kWh | A$74.50 |
| Chest Freezer | Refrigeration & freezing | 100 W | 5.6 h | 203 kWh | A$71.12 |
| Clothes Dryer ×0.5 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 3,000 W | 16 min | 149 kWh | A$52.19 |
| Desktop Computer | TV, computing & network | 150 W | 2.5 h | 139 kWh | A$48.49 |
| Dishwasher ×0.7 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 16 min | 104 kWh | A$36.53 |
| Outdoor Security Floodlight | Lighting | 30 W | 9.3 h | 101 kWh | A$35.48 |
| Hair Dryer | Other appliances | 1,800 W | 9 min | 99 kWh | A$34.49 |
| Vacuum Cleaner | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 91 kWh | A$31.94 |
| Television ×1.3 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 1.3 h | 60 kWh | A$21.01 |
| Induction Cooktop | Cooking | 1,800 W | 5 min | 54 kWh | A$19.05 |
| Electric Oven ×0.7 | Cooking | 2,500 W | 5 min | 53 kWh | A$18.52 |
| Electric Lawn Mower (Corded or Battery) | Other appliances | 1,200 W | 6 min | 44 kWh | A$15.33 |
| Laptop | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 2.5 h | 42 kWh | A$14.55 |
| Washing Machine ×0.8 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 16 min | 40 kWh | A$13.92 |
| Computer Monitor | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 2.5 h | 28 kWh | A$9.70 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 7.6 h | 28 kWh | A$9.70 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 2 min | 15 kWh | A$5.29 |
| Electric Kettle ×1.5 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 1 min | 14 kWh | A$4.76 |
| Microwave | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 8 kWh | A$2.65 |
| Phone Charger ×2 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 38 min | 5 kWh | A$1.62 |
| Garage Door Opener | Other appliances | 500 W | 1 min | 4 kWh | A$1.28 |
| Toaster | Cooking | 1,000 W | 0 min | 3 kWh | A$1.06 |
| Streaming Stick or Box | TV, computing & network | 4 W | 1.3 h | 2 kWh | A$0.65 |
| Printer (Inkjet or Laser) | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 9 min | 2 kWh | A$0.61 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 239 kWh | A$83.76 |
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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 | 2,700 kWh | €999.00 | €83.25 |
| France | 4,287 kWh | €857.40 | €71.45 |
| Australia | 5,237 kWh | A$1,833 | A$152.75 |
| Canada (average) | 10,750 kWh | C$1,505 | C$125.42 |
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.