Compare energy and distributor costs in your state

Find costs in your state

Click on the links below to scroll straight to the connection, distribution and retail costs of energy in your state.

• Victoria
• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia
• ACT
• Tasmania

To learn more about where the costs come from and how they are calculated for your bill, keep reading! This page will tell you all about:

• Distributor costs
• Retailer costs and energy rates
• Other items on your bill

Distributor costs

Your energy bill is made up of approximately 50% distributor costs, so when you compare electricity and gas plans, it’s important to understand where these significant costs come from. 

The distributors own and maintain the network that transports electricity and gas around the country, from power stations, renewable energy facilities and gas fields to your home or business. This includes the powerlines, pipes and poles that connect us all to our source of power, otherwise known as ‘the grid’.

To keep the grid working, distributors carry out a number of tasks, including scheduled maintenance, responding to emergencies and faults, such as blackouts, damaged power poles, fallen power lines and gas leaks and constructing new infrastructure to connect new homes and businesses. 

It is also the distributor’s job to install and upgrade electricity and gas meters. If this is a straightforward connection. In some cases, this can involve additional work such as a line extension (installing new poles) or a line augmentation (installing new cables). 

These complex works will usually incur an additional fee. You can ask your builder or distributor to provide a quote before the works begin so you know if these charges apply to you.

The expenses involved in carrying out each of the distributor’s activities are calculated as a flat, daily fee and charged to customers as your network and connection fees. Your retailer pays these costs to the distributor and passes them on to you on your final energy bill.

There are 16 electricity distributors and 12 gas distributors in Australia. Each one charges a different amount for their services, depending on the expenses they incur to carry out their activities in their region. Your distributor is determined by the area you live in – you can find out the charges that apply to you by scrolling down to your state.

Retailer costs and energy rates

Your retailer buys energy from the generators for a wholesale price and then sells it to you for a profit. The energy rate that applies to your contract is the marked-up cost that your retailer is charging you. This will be shown on your bill in kilowatt-hours (kWh) based on your energy usage during the billing cycle.

When wholesale energy costs increase because of high coal prices or issues with the supply chain, the extra cost is passed on to consumers. Some of the larger retailers are able to absorb some of the extra costs to provide cheaper energy to their customers, so it’s really important to shop around for a good deal.

The retailer also pays the distributor for their expenses and passes on the costs in your bill. This is shown on your bill as a supply, service or daily charge. In deregulated markets, including Victoria, New South Wales, South-East Queensland and South Australia, retailers are free to set their own supply charge, whereas regulated markets like the Northern Territory and regional Queensland have the supply charge set by the government.

There are several other expenses incurred by retailers such as account management and operating costs. To make sure they remain profitable, they will consider these expenses when they set the energy rates and supply charges.

Other items on your bill

Your final bill will be made up of the distributor costs, retail costs and any of the below items that are applicable to you. You should always read your contract thoroughly to make sure you know which charges to expect and compare energy plans fairly.

• Same Day Connections

A same-day or urgent connection can cost up to $400. An urgent connection is classified as any connection required in a timeframe less than the standard three business days for electricity or five business days for gas. 

Where possible, make sure to give CheapBills, or your new retailer, sufficient time to avoid this extra cost.

• Meter Installation or Upgrade Services

If you require a new meter or an upgrade to a digital or smart meter, you will be charged for this in addition to your connection fee. You can talk to your builder, electrician or distributor to arrange a quote before the work begins.

• Solar Panels and Meter Installation

Several retailers offer deals to install a solar power system with their preferred suppliers. If you choose this option, the cost will be shown on your initial bill, or in installments over a period of time, depending on your agreed payment terms.

• Solar Feed-In Tariff (FiT)

If your solar energy production from your solar pv system exceeds your energy usage, your retailer will pay you for the amount you give back to the grid. 

Alternatively, you can store your excess electricity generation in solar batteries to use during evenings when you are not generating electricity. This can be a better option to reduce your electricity bill in the long-term, however there are significant up front costs for battery purchase and installation.

• Special Meter Read

When you request a special meter read i.e. a meter read outside the normal cycle, this will be charged to your bill. You might request a special meter read if you are switching providers or moving home mid-cycle.

• Payment Processing and Late Fees

When you sign up to a new contract, these fees can often be hidden in the fine print, so don’t get caught out! Common additional fees include a surcharge for paper bills, credit card processing fees and late payment charges.

• Clean energy

If you have opted for a carbon-neutral or green add-on to your plan, the surcharge will be shown as a separate item on your bill.

Keep scrolling to your state to find out the distributor costs and energy rates where you live.

Victoria

Victoria Energy Retailers

There are lots of options to find cheap electricity in Victoria, with the deregulated state offering one of the most competitive energy markets in Australia.

*Monthly cost based on the retailers’ “medium” electricity and gas usage on the Citipower network. Your actual cost will be based on your usage.

New South Wales

New South Wales Energy Retailers

There is a wide range of gas and electricity retailers in New South Wales, so it can become overwhelming trying to compare energy. Make it easy with our comparison service – simply enter your details online.

*Monthly cost based on the retailers’ “medium” electricity and gas usage on the Ausgrid network. Your actual cost will be based on your usage.

Queensland

Queensland Energy Retailers

In South-East Queensland, the energy market was deregulated in July 2016, meaning there is healthy competition between retailers and customers are free to choose a plan that best suits their needs. Being the Sunshine State, you can also benefit from solar plans to make the most of those long, sunny daylight hours.

NB: Customers in regional areas receive government subsidised rates through Ergon Energy.

*Monthly cost based on the retailers’ “medium” electricity and gas usage on the Energex network. Your actual cost will be based on your usage.

South Australia

Electricity and gas are delivered to homes and businesses in South Australia by just one distributor.

South Australia Energy Retailers

There are more than 25 retailers servicing households and small businesses in South Australia, so finding electricity prices to suit your budget should be a breeze!

*Monthly cost based on the retailers’ “medium” electricity and gas usage on the SA Power Networks network. Your actual cost will be based on your usage.

Australian Capital Territory

Evoenergy owns and operates an electricity network spanning 2,358 square kilometres and over 4,563 kilometres of gas mains, delivering power to over 200,000 homes and businesses in the ACT and surrounds.

ACT Energy Retailers

There are 13 energy retailers in the ACT, making the small state highly competitive. Customers here can also enjoy being the first in the country to be powered by 100% renewable energy sources, meaning they are partially protected from volatile fossil fuel prices.

*Monthly cost based on the retailers’ “medium” electricity and gas usage on the Evoenergy network. Your actual cost will be based on your usage.

Tasmania

The small island state of Tasmania has just one distributor for gas and electricity. 

Tasmania Energy Retailers

Tasmania became a deregulated energy market in 2014, opening up the gates for retailers to break the monopoly that Aurora energy had in the state. Since then, several competitors have broadened their offerings to include Tasmania, giving residents and small businesses the opportunity to shop around for a good deal.

What’s next?

Now that you understand the distributor and retailer costs in your state, you should be able to see how important it is to compare your bills to find the cheap energy plan for your home or business.

CheapBills is a completely free service that will take the hassle out of finding the best deal. 

Give us a call on 1300 786 045 or enter your details online.

**Please note, all prices on this page are correct for July 2022.

Related post: Are Electricity Prices Going Up in 2023