The Finance Algorithm

Electricity Bill Optimizer

Analyse usage and suggest cheaper plans based on historical bills for Australian households.

Updated October 2026Built and checked by MaverickHow it's calculatedReport an error

Your numbers

Updates as you type

Sets the state whose published plans your bill is compared with

3
1,200
$
$350
100
30

Refer to your bill if unsure.

The button asks our AI to explain these figures in words.

Electricity bill snapshot

Annual cost

$1,400

$117/month

Effective rate

29.2c

per kWh, all-in

Daily usage

13.2 kWh

average per day

Potential savings

$0

vs cheapest published plan in NSW

Your yearly cost against published plans

Your usage priced on 778 open single-rate residential plans in NSW, including GST, from retailers' Consumer Data Right data. Rates differ between network areas, so check plans for your postcode.

$1,400Your bill$2,230Median published plan$1,682Cheapest published plan

Where your bill money goes

Supply charge is the fixed daily fee: applies whether you use power or not. Usage is the variable component you control by reducing consumption.

$1,400annual
Usage charges79.8%
Supply charges20.2%
Your bill is at or below the cheapest published plans
At your usage of about 4,803 kWh a year, the 778 open single-rate plans published in NSW cost from $1,682 a year, with a median of $2,230, including GST - against about $1,400 on your bill. Rates differ between network areas, so check plans for your postcode before switching. Concessions and discounts on your bill aren't included in the published rates.

How it works

Your electricity bill has two parts: a daily supply charge and a usage charge for each kWh. This optimiser turns your latest bill into a yearly cost and an effective rate, then prices the same yearly usage on every open single-rate residential plan retailers publish in your state through the Consumer Data Right, updated nightly, and shows the cheapest and the median. Plans differ between network areas, so use it to see whether it's worth shopping around, then check plans for your exact postcode.

  1. 1Grab your latest electricity bill.
  2. 2Enter your postcode and the bill's period in months.
  3. 3Copy the total amount (including GST) and the kWh used.
  4. 4Enter the supply charge per day and the usage rate per kWh.
  5. 5Choose your plan type and whether you have solar.
  6. 6Compare your yearly cost with published plans in your state.

The figures today

On plans open to new customers, the typical electricity usage rate runs from 23.86c per kWh in Victoria to 38.10c in South Australia, usually before GST.

Electricity plans by state

Worked examples

Household with High Usage (No Solar)

Kim lives in Brisbane and has a 3-month bill: $505 for 1,350 kWh, with a 31c/kWh usage rate and a 95c a day supply charge.

Postcode
4000
Billing period (months)
3
Total electricity used (kWh)
1,350
Total bill amount
$505
Supply charge (cents per day)
95
Usage charge (cents per kWh)
31
Plan type
Single Rate
Do you have solar panels?
No

Her bill works out at about $2,020 a year for 5,400 kWh. Priced on the 268 open single-rate plans published in Queensland in October 2026, the same usage cost from about $1,450 a year, with a median of $2,212 - so shopping around could save several hundred dollars, depending on the plans in her network area.

Family with Solar

The Lee family in Sydney has a 4-month bill: $408 for 1,050 kWh, with a 27c/kWh usage rate and a $1.02 a day supply charge.

Postcode
2077
Billing period (months)
4
Total electricity used (kWh)
1,050
Total bill amount
$408
Supply charge (cents per day)
102
Usage charge (cents per kWh)
27
Plan type
Single Rate
Do you have solar panels?
Yes

Their bill works out at about $1,224 a year, close to the cheapest of the 779 published single-rate plans in NSW in October 2026 (about $1,174 for their usage). With solar, the feed-in tariff matters as much as the usage rate.

Questions people ask

What drives my electricity bill?
The daily supply charge, which you pay however much you use, and the usage charge for each kWh. Time-of-use plans charge more at peak times, and solar credits, concessions and discounts reduce the bill.
How do I compare electricity plans?
Price your actual usage on each plan, including its supply charge, rather than comparing usage rates alone. This optimiser does that for every published single-rate plan in your state; Energy Made Easy and Victorian Energy Compare show the plans for your exact address.
How often should I review my plan?
At least once a year, and when your usage changes - after adding solar, an electric car or new appliances, or moving house. Retailers change their prices, usually from 1 July.
Why do rates vary by postcode?
Network charges differ between distribution areas, and retailers price their plans for each one, so the same retailer's plan can cost more in one area than another.

The terms, in plain English

Supply Charge
Daily fixed charge for being connected to the electricity grid: payable regardless of usage.
Usage Charge
The price (per kWh) you are charged for every unit of electricity consumed.
Feed-in Tariff
Rate paid for excess solar energy exported back to the grid.
Plan Type
The way you are charged for usage: single rate, time of use, or controlled load.
kWh (kilowatt hour)
Unit for measuring electricity usage. 1kWh = using 1000W for one hour.

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