The easiest way to see if there’s a better (and potentially cheaper) energy plan for your home is to try our free electricity comparison service.
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At least a week before moving day, you should be confident that the power will be on when you arrive, as well as minimise any chance of paying two bills for two homes.
Are you unsure about using a smart meter? We look at the benefits of having this energy tracking tool and how it can help you save money on your quarterly bill.
Solar power has become quite popular for environmentally conscious and thrifty Queensland customers. Here’s how to get more from this green investment.
Queensland isn’t called ‘the Sunshine State’ for no reason, and solar panels are common in many homes. But should these households take advantage of solar batteries?
Confused by your electricity bill? We explain things like tariffs, peak pricing, rebates and meters – to give you the best understanding of your usage possible.
The Queensland government offers a number of concessions and rebates that provide support to lower-income households who might be struggling to pay their power bills.
Distributors supply energy to providers at wholesale prices, who then provide you with energy for your home and send you a bill. Queensland energy distributors include:
If you live in south-east Queensland (SEQ), you will be able to choose your electricity provider, or even shop around for better offers!
In Queensland, you will pay a fixed daily supply charge (cents per day) for energy for the cost to maintain infrastructure and supply power to your home. In addition, you will pay a usage rate based on how many kilowatts of energy you use each hour (kWh).
Usage rates are either charged at a single standard rate for every ‘block’ of electricity used; this is calculated in quarterly, monthly or daily blocks (i.e. how much you use each day, month or quarter), however, you may be charged a different rate for the first block of energy you use (e.g. first 0 to 1500 kWh) than for any subsequent blocks of energy you use.
Alternatively, if you have a smart meter, you may be able to take advantage of variable rates (i.e. time-of-use tariffs), which charge you depending on what time of the day you use your energy.
If you have a solar power system installed, any unused energy which you produce can be converted and exported to the electricity grid, to be sold for a feed-in tariff. This means you could be making solid savings on your energy bills! You just have to be mindful of installation costs of any panels, cost to maintain these panels, etc.
In some cases, feed in tariffs won’t be available to you.
To make electricity more affordable for Queensland residents, the Queensland Government initiated the Affordable Energy Plan in 2018, which included:
Depending on where you live in Queensland, who your energy provider is, and what type of plan you’re on will determine how much you pay for electricity on average.
According to the Queensland Competition Authority, if you are living in regional Queensland, a typical household that’s on residential tariff 11 (single rate tariff) would expect to pay $1,539 for their 2017-18 annual electricity bill.
A report from the Queensland Competition Authority, which analysed electricity offers from a number of different energy providers in the September quarter of 2018 (July to September) shows that electricity prices differed for South East Queenslanders. If you are a typical residential customer (median usage level of 1,022kWh) living in South East Queensland that’s on a flat rate tariff (tariff 11), the average standing offer for the September quarter was $403, while the average market offer was $338 for the same quarter.
According to a report by the Queensland Competition Authority, if you are a typical residential customer in South East Queensland that’s on a flat rate (tariff 11), in the September quarter of 2018 (July to September) the average standing offer was $403, while the average market offer was $338 (i.e. an offer from energy provider with discounts etc.). This means, at these prices, you could save an average of $65 a quarter or $260 a year on average just for moving from a standing offer to a market offer (you may not be able to do this in regional Queensland).
If you are in South East Queensland and you’re already on a market offer you may also be able to save on your electricity bill, according to the Queensland Competition Authority. In the September quarter of 2018, the average lowest market offer from 16 different energy providers was $318, while the highest average market offer in this quarter was $361. This means that by comparing energy plans and shopping around for a better market offer, at these prices, you may be able to save $43 per quarter or $172 a year on your electricity bill.
Where you live in Queensland determines which tariffs are available to you (i.e. your rate paid for energy usage). If you live in regional Queensland you may have a limited choice of tariffs, as the Queensland Competition Authority regulates this market. However, if you live in South East Queensland you may have more choices of tariffs, although the names may vary between energy providers.
The following are examples of the types of tariffs that may be available in Queensland, and how the tariff names may appear on your energy bill. Tariff availability may be limited depending on where you live in Queensland and which energy provider you use.
Depending on which tariff you’re on, the cost of electricity in Queensland is measured in cents per day (c/day) for supply charges, cents per kilowatt per hour (c/kWh) for energy usage rates (flat rate or peak, shoulder or off-peak rates), or dollars per kilowatt per month ($/kW/mth) for demand charges from the energy network.
The regulated cost of electricity for regional Queensland is detailed in the table below which outlines residential Queensland electricity tariffs for the 2018-19 financial year (excluding GST).
| Charges for regulated residential electricity tariffs for regional Queensland customers, 2018-19 | |||||
| Tariff | Supply charge (c/day) | Usage rate at peak time (c/kWh) | Usage rate at shoulder time (c/kWh) | Usage rate at flat rate or off-peak time (c/kWh) | Demand charge at off-peak time ($/kW/mth) |
| Tariff 11: standard residential tariff | 88.948 | ~ | ~ | 25.298 | ~ |
| Tariff 12A: seasonal time-of-use | 77.628 | 62.666 | ~ | 21.474 | ~ |
| Tariff 14: seasonal time-of-use demand | 46.420 | 62.777 | ~ | 17.593 | 9.241 |
| Tariff 31: super economy | ~ | ~ | ~ | 17.433 | ~ |
| Tariff 33: economy | ~ | ~ | ~ | 21.050 | ~ |
| ~ suggests the charge/rate is not applicable for the particular tariff Source: Queensland Government – Electricity prices, tariffs and charges | |||||
If you live in South East Queensland you will have to pay a daily supply charge for your energy, and you may also have access to different energy tariffs and pricing structures, as the market is deregulated in this region. However, the rates and names of electricity tariffs will vary between different energy providers.
A report by the Queensland Competition Authority analysed the electricity prices from a number of electricity providers in the September 2018 quarter (1 July to 30 September). Electricity bills for a typical household in South East Queensland in this period ranged from $358 to $512 for standing offers, while, market offers from electricity providers ranged from $295 to $432 in the same quarter.
You will find energy meter costs included in your energy bill. This covers the costs of purchasing and connecting the metering equipment, as well as costs of inspections, testing, maintenance, repairs, replacements, quarterly or regular meter readings, and for handling the metering data.
For South East Queensland customers (i.e. Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast), the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) sets the price that providers charge for standard meter readings (older meters). However, digital meter charges are not regulated, which means your energy provider can choose how much they charge for digital metering and will add these to your daily supply charges.
If your electricity provider decides to change your old working meter to a new digital meter, they must let you know of any upfront installation costs.
If you’re a regional Queensland customer on a market contract, standard meter services are regulated by the AER. However, digital meter services are not regulated, and the metering charges are added to daily supply charges. For regional Queensland customers on regulated prices in 2018-19, set metering costs are $43.80 for households with a primary tariff only (GST included), or $55.30 for households with a controlled load (GST included).
Any meters that are newly installed or old meters that are replaced must be a digital ‘smart’ meter. If customers choose to have the telecommunications function disabled on their smart meter, they will have to pay an extra $64.33 per year to cover the costs of a manual meter reading.
If you’re living in Queensland you can take advantage of time-of-use tariffs through a digital smart meter. Prices in SEQ are generally divided between peak (high demand, 4pm-8pm weekdays), off-peak (low demand, 10pm-7am), and shoulder rates (all other times), with off-peak being the least expensive.
| Time of use tariff rates and times for peak, off-peak and shoulder periods for QLD energy distributors | |||
| Energy distributor | Peak, off-peak & shoulder times | Usage and supply charges (excluding GST)^ | |
| Energex (South East QLD), 2018-19 charges | |||
| Peak | Weekdays: 4pm-8pm | Weekends: N/A | 16.481 c/kWh |
| Shoulder | Weekdays: 7am-4pm & 8pm-10pm | Weekends: 7am-10pm | 7.428 c/kWh |
| Off-peak | Weekdays: 10pm-7am | Weekends: 10pm-7am | 5.805 c/kWh |
| Daily supply charge: | 48 c/day | ||
| Additional information for Energex time-of-use tariffs: weekdays include public holidays. | |||
| Ergon (Regional QLD), charges from 1 July 2018 | |||
| Peak | Weekdays: 3pm-9.30pm (only Dec-Feb) | Weekends: N/A | 68.933 c/kWh* |
| Shoulder | Weekdays: N/A | Weekends: N/A | – |
| Off-peak | Weekdays: All times (Mar-Nov) | Weekends: All times (Mar-Nov) | 23.621 c/kWh* |
| Daily supply charge: | 85.391 c/day* | ||
| Additional information for Ergon tariffs: customers have to remain on the same tariff for at least 12 months before being able to change to another tariff; there may be additional costs for changing tariffs. | |||
| Essential Energy (areas close to QLD/NSW border), charges from 1 July 2018 | |||
| Peak | Weekdays: 7am-9am, 5pm-8pm | Weekends: N/A | 13.129 – 13.6298 c/kWh |
| Shoulder | Weekdays: 9am-5pm, 8pm-10pm | Weekends: N/A | 11.3968 – 11.8499 c/kWh |
| Off-peak | Weekdays: 10pm-7am | Weekends: All weekend | 4.3514 c/kWh |
| Daily supply charge: | 79.51 c/day | ||
| Additional information for Essential Energy time of use tariffs: all times are based on Eastern Standard Time (incl. Daylight Savings Time and Summer Time, which is the last Sunday in October at 2am to the last Sunday in March at 3am); time of use tariffs and rates are only applied for customers with a smart meter installed. | |||
| * Price includes GST ^ N.B: the prices above are the wholesale rates the distributors sell to provider, which means electricity provider will charge different rates on your power bill. | |||
If you’re in south-east Queensland, Energex divides residential time-of-use rates into peak (4pm–8pm weekdays), shoulder (weekdays between 7am–4pm and 8pm–10pm, weekends between 7am-10pm) and off-peak (weekdays and weekends 10pm-7am), with off-peak being charged at the lowest rate.
If you are living in regional Queensland, Ergon energy only offers time of use pricing throughout summer. During this period, peak times are from 3pm to 9:30pm weekdays. From March to November, Ergon charges all electricity at off-peak rates (no matter which time it’s used).
If you reside close to the QLD/NSW border, Essential Energy classifies residential peak periods on weekdays from 7am-9am and 5pm-8pm, and shoulder periods on weekdays from 9am to 5pm and 8pm to 10pm. All other times are considered off-peak.
Residents of the Sunshine State can compare a range of electricity providers and market offers in Queensland. To make it easier to compare, we have compiled a list of QLD electricity suppliers below. If you’re living in the capital, the following table also shows a list of Brisbane electricity providers.
The QLD electricity providers in blue are currently offered to customers through our free energy comparison service, however, the electricity suppliers in black are not currently available to Queensland customers through Compare the Market.
* The prices and information provided above are based on a house with two adults and one child in the postcode of 4000 and are accurate as of February 2019. Data sourced from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). Plans are prices are subject to change.
It’s important to remember that not all energy providers supply electricity to every Queensland city or town, and depending on your type of household and the location you live in will determine which electricity providers (who bill you) are available to you.
With hot summers often resulting in high energy usage, you may be searching for the best electricity deals in Queensland. While there might be a perception that all energy providers charge roughly the same amount of money for electricity rates in Queensland, the comparison table below shows that this isn’t necessarily the case.
So, which provider has the cheapest electricity QLD has to offer? The table below shows QLD electricity rates from available providers, with costs based on three-person households with average energy usage.
Plus, if you’re living in the state’s capital, the table also shows the cheapest electricity Brisbane has to offer.
| Provider | Plan | Annual Cost (inc. discounts) | Price per kWh (cents) | Discount Offered | Discount Benefit Period | Contract Term |
| Alinta Energy | Home Saver Plus – Single Rate | $1,390.00 | 28.03 | 28% | 1 year | None |
| Powershop | Auto Pay with Mega Pack | $1,390.00 | 24.99 | 15% | None | None |
| Click Energy | Click Amethyst | $1,400.00 | 29.7 | 27% | None | None |
| AGL | Residential Essentials | $1,420.00 | 21.01 | 0% | 1 year | Ongoing |
| EnergyAustralia | Secure Saver Home | $1,420.00 | 27.72 | 30% | None | 2 years |
| PowerDirect | Residential Market Offer | $1,420.00 | 28.05 | 26% | 1 year | Ongoing |
| Energy Locals | Simple Saver – Anytime | $1,480.00 | 21.99 | 0% | None | None |
| Simply Energy | QLD Simply Plus 18 | $1,500.00 | 28.81 | 18% | 2 years | Ongoing |
| Diamond Energy | Diamond Solar | $1,530.00 | 24.59 | 10% | None | None |
| Red Energy | Easy Saver | $1,530.00 | 26.73 | 10% | None | None |
| Origin Energy | Origin Maximiser | $1,550.00 | 26.62 | 16% | 1 year | Ongoing |
| People Energy | Standing Retail Contract | $1,670.00 | 24.46 | 0% | None | None |
| Momentum Energy | Standing Offer GD | $1,720.00 | 27.82 | 0% | None | None |
| Mojo | Mojo EnergyPass® | $1,810.00 | 24.85 | 0% | None | None |
| Sanctuary Energy | Standing retail contract | $1,830.00 | 26.91 | 0% | None | None |
| Dodo Power & Gas | Residential Standing (E4EXR-SAT1) | $1,980.00 | 30.32 | 0% | None | None |
* The prices and information provided above are based on a house with two adults and one child in the postcode of 4000 and are accurate as of January 2019. Data sourced from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). Plans are prices are subject to change.
Where you live and how many people are living in your house may impact the energy options available to you, and whether you’re able to take advantage of great value electricity deals. Whether you live in Brisbane or other cities and towns like Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Sunshine Coast or Townsville, you can easily see if there’s a better electricity deal through Compare the Market’s free energy comparison service.
If you live in Brisbane you will pay a fixed supply charge to provide energy to your home, which is calculated in cents per day. You will also pay usage charges, calculated by kilowatts of power used per hour (cents per kWh), and will have a choice of different tariffs to determine the rate you’ll pay for electricity.
Check the tables above to see the range of Brisbane electricity providers, and the cheapest electricity rates available in Brisbane.
To see if there’s a better (potentially cheaper) energy plan for your Queensland home, try our free electricity comparison service.
If you live on the Gold Coast, electricity charges will include a supply charge which is calculated in cents per day, as well as usage charges which is calculated on how much kilowatts of power is used per hour (c/kWh). The more energy you use, the more you’ll pay.
There are a number of electricity providers available on the Gold Coast which you can choose from. The following table shows a list of Gold Coast electricity providers. The providers in blue are currently available through our free energy comparison service. However, Compare the Market does not currently offer electricity from any of the providers in black.
So, which provider has the cheapest electricity rates on the Gold Coast? If you are looking for the best electricity deals, the table below shows the cheapest electricity Gold Coast has to offer, with costs based on the average energy usage of a three-person household.
| Provider | Plan | Annual Cost (inc. discounts) | Price per kWh (cents) | Discount Offered | Discount Benefit Period | Contract Term |
| ReAmped Energy | Energex Residential Anytime & CL | $1,310.00 | 20.68 | 0% | None | None |
| Alinta Energy | Home Saver Plus – Single Rate with CL1 & 2 | $1,350.00 | 28.03 | 28% | 1 year | None |
| AGL | Residential Essentials | $1,370.00 | 21.01 | 0% | None | None |
| Powershop | Auto Pay with Mega Pack | $1,370.00 | 24.99 | 15% | None | None |
| Powerdirect | Residential Market Offer | $1,370.00 | 28.05 | 26% | 1 year | Ongoing |
| EnergyAustralia | Secure Saver Home | $1,380.00 | 27.72 | 30% | None | 2 years |
| Click Energy | Click Amethyst | $1,390.00 | 29.7 | 27% | None | None |
| Energy Locals | Simple Saver – Anytime with CL 1 | $1,460.00 | 21.99 | 0% | None | None |
| Simply Energy | QLD Simply Plus 18 | $1,470.00 | 28.81 | 18% | 2 years | Ongoing |
| Red Energy | Easy Saver | $1,480.00 | 26.73 | 10% | None | None |
| Diamond Energy | Diamond Solar | $1,490.00 | 24.59 | 10% | None | None |
| Origin Energy | BillSaver | $1,490.00 | 26.62 | 12% | 1 year | Ongoing |
| People Energy | Standing Retail Contract | $1,590.00 | 24.46 | 0% | None | None |
| amaysim Energy | amaysim Electricity as you go | $1,660.00 | 25.84 | 0% | None | None |
| Sanctuary Energy | Standing retail contract | $1,760.00 | 26.91 | 0% | None | None |
| Mojo | Mojo EnergyPass® | $1,760.00 | 24.85 | 0% | None | None |
| Dodo Power & Gas | Residential Standing (E4EXR-SAT1CL31,E4EXR-SAT1CL33) | $1,910.00 | 30.32 | 0% | None | None |
* The prices and information provided above are based on a house with two adults and one child in the postcode of 4217 and are accurate as of February 2019. Data sourced from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). Plans are prices are subject to change.
If you are living on the Sunshine Coast you will pay an electricity supply charge which is calculated in cents per day, in addition to usage charges which are calculated by the amount of kilowatts of power used per hour (c/kWh). The higher your energy usage, the higher the costs.
Sunshine Coast is home to a range of electricity providers. We’ve provided a list of available electricity providers on the Sunshine Coast in the following table. The providers in black aren’t currently available through Compare the Market, however, by using our free energy comparison service, you can compare electricity offers from the providers in blue.
Want to find the cheapest electricity rates on the Sunshine Coast? If you’re looking for the best electricity deals, the following table shows the cheapest electricity the Sunshine Coast has to offer, with costs based on a three-person household with average energy usage.
| Provider | Plan | Annual Cost (inc. discounts) | Price per kWh (cents) | Discount Offered | Discount Benefit Period | Contract Term |
| ReAmped Energy | Energex Residential Anytime & CL | $1,310.00 | 20.68 | 0% | None | None |
| Alinta Energy | Home Saver Plus – Single Rate with CL1 & 2 | $1,350.00 | 28.03 | 28% | 1 year | None |
| AGL | Residential Essentials | $1,370.00 | 21.01 | 0% | None | None |
| Powershop | Auto Pay with Mega Pack | $1,370.00 | 24.99 | 15% | None | None |
| Powerdirect | Residential Market Offer | $1,370.00 | 28.05 | 26% | 1 year | Ongoing |
| EnergyAustralia | Secure Saver Home | $1,380.00 | 27.72 | 30% | None | 2 years |
| Click Energy | Click Amethyst | $1,390.00 | 29.7 | 27% | None | None |
| Energy Locals | Simple Saver – Anytime with CL 1 | $1,460.00 | 21.99 | 0% | None | None |
| Simply Energy | QLD Simply Plus 18 | $1,470.00 | 28.81 | 18% | 2 years | Ongoing |
| Red Energy | Easy Saver | $1,480.00 | 26.73 | 10% | None | None |
| Diamond Energy | Diamond Solar | $1,490.00 | 24.59 | 10% | None | None |
| Origin Energy | BillSaver | $1,490.00 | 26.62 | 12% | 1 year | Ongoing |
| People Energy | Standing Retail Contract | $1,590.00 | 24.46 | 0% | None | None |
| amaysim Energy | amaysim Electricity as you go | $1,660.00 | 25.84 | 0% | None | None |
| Sanctuary Energy | Standing retail contract | $1,760.00 | 26.91 | 0% | None | None |
| Mojo | Mojo EnergyPass® | $1,760.00 | 24.85 | 0% | None | None |
| Dodo Power & Gas | Residential Standing (E4EXR-SAT1CL31,E4EXR-SAT1CL33) | $1,910.00 | 30.32 | 0% | None | None |
* The prices and information provided above are based on a house with two adults and one child in the postcode of 4558 and are accurate as of February 2019. Data sourced from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). Plans are prices are subject to change.
