Find the right energy plan for your Queensland home

The Queensland energy market explained

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:

1. Energex (south-east Queensland),
2. Ergon Energy (regional QLD), and
3. Essential Energy (areas around Goondiwindi, close to QLD/NSW border).

If you live in south-east Queensland (SEQ), you will be able to choose your electricity provider, or even shop around for better offers!

How Queenslanders are charged for energy

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.

Solar energy in Queensland

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.

1. If you’re an SEQ resident you can get a market feed-in tariff from providers, meaning you can shop around for better rates for your provider to buy back your solar energy. However, if you’re a regional Queensland customer you can only access regional feed-in tariffs.
2. New customers can no longer access the Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariff (44c solar selling rate), which was a previous Government incentive for Queenslanders to install solar panels.

To make electricity more affordable for Queensland residents, the Queensland Government initiated the Affordable Energy Plan in 2018, which included:

• rebates for electricity and energy efficient appliances,
• interest-free loans and rebates for Queensland customers who purchase solar and battery storage systems, and
• rental property trials that help landlords install solar power for their tenants.

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.

How much do customers in QLD 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.

How much could Queenslanders save on their average electricity bill?

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.

Residential electricity tariffs available in Queensland

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.

• ‘Single rate’ tariff, may also be known as Residential Flat, Standard, Residential or Domestic: This is a flat rate tariff where you will pay the same price for each unit of electricity used (i.e. doesn’t measure usage at different times). This tariff is the most common, especially for regional Queensland customers, as not many regional Queenslanders have a smart meter installed.
• ‘Time of use’ tariff, may also be known as Domestic TOU, Residential TOU, or seasonal time of use: This tariff is calculated on how much energy is used at certain times. It includes high usage charges during peak times, lower charges at other times, and a daily supply charge. You will need a smart meter to measure usage for this tariff, but it means you can use your high-powered appliances in off-peak times to possibly save money on energy usage.
• ‘Demand’ tariff, may also be known as Seasonal Time Of Use Demand or Residential Demand – customers need a smart meter to access this tariff: This tariff includes low daily supply and usage charges, however, it will also include demand charges for peak periods, usually in summer. Demand charges are based on how much power is used or how fast you use electricity in peak season during a 30 minute period.
• ‘Lifestyle’ tariff, may also be known as Residential Lifestyle (may only be available in SEQ): This tariff charges a flat rate (cents per kWh) for usage and also charges a fixed amount ($/month) for a certain allowance of energy during the summer peak period (November to March), with the price depending on the network access band you choose. You may also be able to access a summer peak top-up at an additional cost per month.
• ‘Economy’ or ‘control’ tariffs, may also be known as Controlled Load, Controlled Supply, Night Rate, Super Economy, Smart Control or Limited Guaranteed Supply: With this tariff, appliances like pool pumps and hot water systems are metered It’s generally cheaper than Tariff 11 because electricity may not be available at all times (it has an interruptible supply); tariff 31 guarantees supply for 8 hours per day, while tariff 33 supplies electricity for 18 hours per day. Regional customers must first be on tariff 11, 12 or 14 to access one of these tariffs.

Cost of electricity in QLD

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.

Regional Queensland electricity costs

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).

South East Queensland electricity costs

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.

The costs of energy meters in Queensland

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.

The costs of energy meters in South East Queensland

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.

The costs of energy meters in regional Queensland

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.

Electricity peak, shoulder and off-peak times & rates in QLD

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.

South East Queensland electricity peak, shoulder and off-peak times

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.

Regional Queensland electricity peak, shoulder and off-peak times

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.

Queensland electricity providers

• 1st Energy
• AGL
• Alinta Energy
• amaysim Energy
• Click Energy
• DC Power Co
• Diamond Energy
• Discover Energy
• Dodo Power & Gas
• Energy Locals
• EnergyAustralia
• Future X Power
• Locality Planning Energy
• Mojo
• Momentum Energy
• Origin Energy
• People Energy
• Powerclub
• PowerDirect
• Powershop
• ReAmped Energy
• Red Energy
• Sanctuary Energy
• Simply Energy

* 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 September 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.

* 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 September 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.

• 1st Energy
• AGL
• Alinta Energy
• amaysim Energy
• Click Energy
• DC Power Co
• Diamond Energy
• Discover Energy
• Dodo Power & Gas
• Energy Locals
• EnergyAustralia
• Future X Power
• Locality Planning Energy
• Mojo
• Origin Energy
• People Energy
• Powerclub
• Powerdirect
• Powershop
• ReAmped Energy
• Red Energy
• Sanctuary Energy
• Simply Energy

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.

* 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 September 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.

• 1st Energy
• AGL
• Alinta Energy
• amaysim Energy
• Click Energy
• DC Power Co
• Diamond Energy
• Discover Energy
• Dodo Power & Gas
• Energy Locals
• EnergyAustralia
• Future X Power
• Locality Planning Energy
• Mojo
• Origin Energy
• People Energy
• Powerclub
• Powerdirect
• Powershop
• ReAmped Energy
• Red Energy
• Sanctuary Energy
• Simply Energy

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.

* 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 September 2019. Data sourced from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). Plans are prices are subject to change.