A new survey by Compare the Market has found that many Australians have changed the way they use energy at home due to the rising cost of living.

The report revealed that almost a third (30%) had made significant changes to their energy habits, while 46% had been affected by rising costs, and 17% said they had mostly been unaffected by rising living costs.

When asked how much their bills had changed in the past year, 80% said they had increased to some degree, with as many as 31% of the nation saying they had increased ‘a lot’. Fourteen per cent said their bills cost about the same as last year.

This has forced Australians to make sacrifices and adjustments when it comes to their energy usage at home. Compare the Market’s survey revealed that heating, cooling and laundry were among the biggest areas where changes were made, as they’re among the most energy-intensive appliances in the home.

Additionally, 54% of Australians were using heating or air-con less, while 32% were lowering the effectiveness of heating and cooling settings to reduce power draw. Almost 40% were line-drying instead of using a dryer, while a further 39% were only washing laundry in cold wash cycles.

Over a third (35%) were using fans instead of air-con to stay cool.

Less than a quarter (23%) were using electronic appliances on off-peak times to reduce the cost of energy consumption. Under half of Australians (43%) were taking shorter showers, while 35% were replacing lights with energy-saving lightbulbs.

However, the survey revealed only 16% of Australians compared energy providers to find a cheaper or more suitable plan in the past 12 months.

Compare the Market’s Head of Energy, Meredith O’Brien, says comparing energy plans is always a good move, especially when faced with a rising cost of living.

“Comparing available energy plans is important because as prices rise you don’t want to be stuck paying more than you have to,” O’Brien says.

“You can potentially find plans with better rates, and anything you can do to cut down on the cost of your energy usage per kWh or MJ can have an impact on your energy bill. It’s something you can do alongside other energy-saving measures at home. These things together can really help cut down on energy bills.

“Comparing energy plans using a comparison service doesn’t take long, and it could save you money, or get you more value for your money when you search for an energy plan with perks, rewards, or a solar feed-in tariff that suits you better.”

To learn more about the survey, see additional data points, and compare Australia’s results to America and Canada, visit: https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/energy/features/changing-energy-habits-survey/

Compare the Market commissioned PureProfile to survey 1,012 Australian adults in April 2026.

For interviews and more information, please contact:

James McCay | +61 450 930 374 | [email protected]   

^{Compare the Market is a comparison service that takes the hard work out of shopping around. We make it Simples for Australians to quickly and easily compare and buy insurance, energy, and home loans products from a range of providers. Our easy-to-use comparison tool helps you look for a range of products that may suit your needs and benefit your back pocket.}