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Electricity Bill for a Family of five or more in a house in Australia (2026)
A larger family, often with teenagers. Two fridges, laundry twice a day at peak, several consoles and computers, and long showers if hot water is electric.
A family of five or more in a house uses about 9,008 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$262.73 per month, or A$3,153 per year.
Benchmark: Australian Energy Regulator, Residential energy consumption benchmarks (Frontier Economics, December 2020), temperate climate zone (Sydney), households without a swimming pool: 5+ 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 | 3,603 kWh | A$1,261 | 40% |
| Water heating | 1,892 kWh | A$662.09 | 21% |
| Refrigeration & freezing | 874 kWh | A$305.82 | 10% |
| Cooking | 252 kWh | A$88.28 | 3% |
| Washing, drying & dishwashing | 504 kWh | A$176.56 | 6% |
| TV, computing & network | 522 kWh | A$182.86 | 6% |
| Lighting | 540 kWh | A$189.17 | 6% |
| Other appliances | 820 kWh | A$286.90 | 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
- Teenagers add screens and long showers rather than cooking.
- Two laundry loads a day with a tumble dryer is the item to attack first.
- A second fridge in the garage often uses more than the main one because it is older.
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 ×2 | Refrigeration & freezing | 150 W | 6.0 h | 655 kWh | A$229.37 |
| LED Light Bulb ×22 | Lighting | 9 W | 4.7 h | 337 kWh | A$117.78 |
| Clothes Dryer ×1.5 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 3,000 W | 11 min | 305 kWh | A$106.65 |
| Hair Dryer ×3 | Other appliances | 1,800 W | 9 min | 296 kWh | A$103.48 |
| Chest Freezer | Refrigeration & freezing | 100 W | 6.0 h | 218 kWh | A$76.46 |
| Outdoor Security Floodlight ×2 | Lighting | 30 W | 9.3 h | 204 kWh | A$71.38 |
| Dishwasher ×1.3 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 1,500 W | 11 min | 132 kWh | A$46.21 |
| Television ×3 | TV, computing & network | 100 W | 1.0 h | 112 kWh | A$39.25 |
| Desktop Computer | TV, computing & network | 150 W | 2.0 h | 112 kWh | A$39.25 |
| Gaming Console (PS5, Xbox) ×2 | TV, computing & network | 180 W | 46 min | 101 kWh | A$35.32 |
| Laptop ×3 | TV, computing & network | 45 W | 2.0 h | 101 kWh | A$35.32 |
| Induction Cooktop ×2 | Cooking | 1,800 W | 4 min | 97 kWh | A$33.81 |
| Vacuum Cleaner | Other appliances | 1,000 W | 15 min | 91 kWh | A$31.94 |
| Electric Oven ×1.3 | Cooking | 2,500 W | 4 min | 87 kWh | A$30.52 |
| Washing Machine ×2 | Washing, drying & dishwashing | 500 W | 11 min | 68 kWh | A$23.70 |
| Computer Monitor ×2 | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 2.0 h | 45 kWh | A$15.70 |
| Electric Lawn Mower (Corded or Battery) | Other appliances | 1,200 W | 6 min | 44 kWh | A$15.33 |
| Wi-Fi Router | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 6.1 h | 22 kWh | A$7.85 |
| Air Fryer | Cooking | 1,500 W | 2 min | 20 kWh | A$7.04 |
| Electric Kettle ×2 | Cooking | 2,000 W | 1 min | 16 kWh | A$5.63 |
| Smart Speaker ×2 | TV, computing & network | 3 W | 6.1 h | 13 kWh | A$4.71 |
| Microwave ×2 | Cooking | 1,000 W | 1 min | 13 kWh | A$4.70 |
| Coffee Maker (Drip) | Cooking | 1,000 W | 2 min | 13 kWh | A$4.70 |
| Phone Charger ×6 | TV, computing & network | 10 W | 31 min | 11 kWh | A$3.92 |
| Hair Straightener | Other appliances | 60 W | 15 min | 5 kWh | A$1.92 |
| Toaster ×2 | Cooking | 1,000 W | 0 min | 5 kWh | A$1.88 |
| Garage Door Opener | Other appliances | 500 W | 1 min | 4 kWh | A$1.28 |
| Streaming Stick or Box ×2 | TV, computing & network | 4 W | 1.0 h | 3 kWh | A$1.05 |
| Printer (Inkjet or Laser) | TV, computing & network | 30 W | 8 min | 1 kWh | A$0.49 |
| Small appliances, standby and items not listed | Other appliances | – | – | 380 kWh | A$132.97 |
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The same household in other countries
| Country | Official benchmark | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (average) | 14,336 kWh | $2,580 | $215.04 |
| United Kingdom | 3,800 kWh | £988.00 | £82.33 |
| Germany | 4,500 kWh | €1,665 | €138.75 |
| France | 7,145 kWh | €1,429 | €119.08 |
| Australia | 9,008 kWh | A$3,153 | A$262.73 |
| Canada (average) | 12,694 kWh | C$1,777 | C$148.10 |
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.