The Burrow
Nov 13, 2025
It might come as a surprise, but the various energy costs associated with baby care are one of those many hidden expenses that come with parenthood.
While most new parents brace themselves against the price of nappies, clothes, and toys, few really stop to think about the amount of electricity needed to keep their daily baby routines running.
From warming milk bottles to sterilising equipment, powering night lights and tackling endless extra laundry, the energy costs of these small tasks quickly add up. And with household bills on the rise, it’s never been more important for parents to understand their energy footprint so they can reduce costs while raising their little ones.
To get a better picture of the energy expenses involved in baby care, the energy comparison experts at Compare the Market have decided to explore some of the energy costs associated with raising a newborn, analysing data from 29 countries to highlight just how much parents spend on essential care activities.
Using the combined power cost of seven common baby-related appliances, we added up their average wattage figures based on typical usage patterns and compared them to each country’s residential electricity costs. These results were then calculated as a percentage of disposable income, offering a fair comparison across all the regions we examined.
Find out what we discovered below!
Starting off at a worldwide level, our data reveals a clear divide between countries with high electricity prices and those where energy is more affordable. Here are the ten most expensive countries for the annual energy costs of baby care based on our stats (AU$):
Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the five most affordable countries for annual electricity costs related to baby care are Türkiye ($59.14), Hungary ($96.22), Canada ($108.57), South Korea ($111.22), and Norway ($136.82).
These differences come down largely to local electricity rates, with countries such as Ireland, Italy, and Germany facing much higher tariffs. However, parenting practices also play a role, as frequent use of tumble dryers, reliance on bottle warmers, and buying cloth nappies instead of disposables (which adds to washing loads) can all increase energy usage.
Ultimately, parents in high-cost regions not only pay more because of tariffs but also because of energy-intensive habits. This makes it even more important to explore energy-saving tips that can keep both your bills and environmental impact in check.
Moving on to percentage income, when we look at the average spent on electricity for baby care, we do see our rankings change a little, though many of the same countries in our cost top 10 once again make an appearance here:
By contrast, the five countries where baby care energy costs account for the smallest share of income are the United States (0.17%), Türkiye (0.17%), Canada (0.20%), Norway (0.24%), and Hungary (0.25%), suggesting that the average income in these countries allow for additional savings to be made when it comes to baby care energy costs.
Aussies will also be thrilled to hear that we made it into the top 10 in terms of income affordability, scraping into 10th with 0.36% of the average family income being spent on energy costs for baby care each year.
Narrowing down now to specific countries, let’s look at which of the various US states have higher baby care energy costs compared to one another, starting with the top 5 most expensive states in the country:
Standing out as the most expensive state overall, Hawaiian parents spend an average of 0.25% of their income on energy costs related to childcare – a full 0.07% more than our next most expensive state!
At AU$375.06 annually and $31.26 monthly, things are certainly not cheap in Hawaii, and such costs are made even more concerning when you consider the fact that Hawaii also has a relatively low median household income of only $149,325, meaning the associated energy costs of raising a child really eat into their income.
Sitting as the second most expensive state on our ranking, California parents also face some of the highest electricity costs for baby care, averaging $270.28 annually and $22.52 monthly. With high residential electricity rates and a strong reliance on the latest appliances, it’s certainly one of those states where energy bills for baby-related tasks can quickly add up.
As a share of income, these energy expenses equal 0.18%, higher than the national low but still moderate compared to the likes of Hawaii’s high of 0.25%, with Californian parents also benefiting from a higher median household income of $159,912.
Next up and sharing a matching income share to California of 0.18%, Connecticut manages to land a slightly lower spot, thanks to ever so slightly cheaper costs overall. Sitting at $266.93 annually and $22.24 monthly, Connecticut residents can certainly take advantage of warm summer weather for things like line drying, but also clearly rely on energy-dependent tech over the colder months.
Floating in a similar boat to the last two states on our list, Rhode Island also sees 0.18% of annual income going to its baby care energy bills, racking up costs of $245.75 annually and $20.48 monthly.
Residential electricity rates are generally steeper across the state ($0.4232/kWh), and many families rely on tumble dryers due to limited space for outdoor drying, hence why they use more energy overall.
Lastly, Maine comes in to wrap up our top five, with families in this northern state spending 0.16% of their total yearly income on energy care costs around children, equating to $219.53 annually and $18.29 monthly.
Much like Rhode Island, residential electricity rates are high here at $0.3780/kWh, and the colder weather again means that heating and drying solutions tend to increase in energy intensity over the winter.
Standing in stark contrast to our most expensive US states, Utah and Washington come out on top tied as our most affordable states.
Within Utah, residential electricity rates are just AU$0.1795/kWh. This results in annual costs of $104.25 ($8.69 monthly), which is only 0.07% of the average income – an absolute steal compared to most other states on our list and only matched by Washington!
And speaking of Washington, parents here will also be pleased to hear that annual child energy costs average out at $107.78 and $8.98 monthly, despite it being more northern than many of our more expensive areas.
Hitting the end of our research, let’s wrap up by heading back to Australia to see how our states compare with one another, and which areas are getting the worst deals for baby energy care prices.
Despite there being much to love about living in South Australia, the price of childcare energy costs isn’t one of them. Here, parents face annual costs of AU$235.21 and a monthly rate of $19.60, which levels out to around 0.31% of their income. Partly down to the colder climate, families here certainly need to rely on heaters, but average lower household earnings don’t help either.
In stark contrast to the average household income going on child energy costs in South Australia, Tasmanian families are probably relieved to hear that the percentage of their yearly income going to this area is only 0.23%.
Despite having the lowest median household income of all Australian states at $70,616, Tasmania’s energy costs are low in general, capping out at only $162.65 yearly and $13.55 per month, helping them save off a few much-needed dollars here and there.
Next, parents in New South Wales also face some of the highest baby care electricity costs in the country, averaging $192.30 annually and $16.02 monthly for a total income percentage of 0.20%. With residential electricity rates of around $0.3311/kWh, the state’s relatively high tariffs play a significant role in elevating costs.
Families living in urban areas, where tumble dryers are more common due to space limitations, may see these costs rise further. However, increasing the uptake of energy-efficient appliances, such as LED night lights and low-wattage bottle sterilisers, offers households ways to limit their usage.
Hopping over to the other coast next, Western Australia also finds itself matching New South Wales in terms of percentage income spent on childcare energy rates, also coming in at 0.20%. Indeed, this state is only saved from a higher spot by the fact that energy is slightly cheaper here at $184.29 annually and $15.36 monthly, as well as the potential the state has for the wider adoption of solar technology.
Lastly, and once more matching New South Wales and Western Australia for income percentage at 0.20%, Queensland families see their annual baby energy costs averaging out at $176.66 ($14.72 monthly), with tariffs sitting around $0.3042/kWh.
Warm weather across much of the state means families are more likely to line-dry clothes rather than rely heavily on tumble dryers, which can help to reduce energy use. Still, higher cooling requirements in summer may offset these savings in some households.
Sitting right at the top, we have the Australian Capital Territory, who spend the least on baby care electricity at an average cost of AU$156.64 annually and $13.05 monthly, which equates to 0.13% of their income.
This was then followed by Victoria, with annual baby-care energy costs sitting at $130.52 and $10.88 monthly, thanks to comparatively lower energy rates ($0.2247/kWh), and the state’s strong focus on renewable energy and efficiency schemes, all of which contribute to a percentage income spend of 0.14%.
And finally, we see the Northern Territory sweeping into third with 0.16% of families’ yearly income going to childcare energy costs. As with Tasmania and the Capital Territory, average rates are low here, coming in at $169.68 per year and $14.14 per month.
While the data highlights how much parents spend on electricity for everyday baby routines, there are still plenty of practical ways to bring those numbers down. Small adjustments in appliance use and smarter choices when buying equipment can significantly cut down the energy costs of baby care, as can the following:
Head of Energy at Compare the Market Australia, Meredith O’Brien, notes how comparing energy plans is an important part of maintaining energy bill hygiene.
“Parents are often surprised when they see how much power daily routines consume,” Ms O’Brien said.
“Ensuring you’re smart with your usage of appliances can help reduce your overall power bills.
“Comparing energy plans is another way families can potentially lower their bills and protect themselves against rising costs.”
This dataset ranks 29 countries based on the energy cost of baby care in each country by using 7 essential baby-related appliances to form an average rate of energy use.
For each appliance, we averaged the wattage usage of 2-3 products of that type, and where possible, included different variations of the appliance. The total energy usage was then calculated using typical use assumptions and combined with the country’s residential cost of electricity to work out an average cost.
This total cost was then calculated as a percentage of the average disposable income in each country to contextualise the baby care cost, at which point countries were ranked from lowest to highest, based on this percentage.
The appliances and assumptions used were as follows:
All data and exchange rates used are correct as of 09/10/25.
The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life.
All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.
Exchange rate used: 1 USD = 1.52 AUD.
In efforts to best ensure comparability between the countries, we analysed countries with a high quality of life and a similar level of development, where the mentioned baby appliances would typically be easily available to purchase.