All guides
Compare electricity and gas plans in Australia for 2026–27: DMO and VDO reference prices, time-of-use tariffs, solar feed-in, free midday power, concessions and complaints.
Price Factors, Tariffs and 2026 Rules
- Controlled load tariffs explained: off-peak hot water circuits and whether to keep them
What a controlled load (off-peak) tariff is, how it appears on your bill, when it saves money, and what changes with heat pumps, solar and free midday power.
- Default Market Offer (DMO) 2026–27: what changed on 1 July 2026
The AER's DMO 8 for 2026–27 explained — regions covered, how prices moved in NSW, South East Queensland and South Australia, what the cap applies to and how to use it.
- How electricity and gas bills are priced in Australia (2026–27 guide)
Supply charges, usage rates, tariff types, the DMO and VDO reference prices and gas pricing explained, with the 2026–27 changes and links to every detailed guide.
- \"X% less than the reference price\": how to read electricity offer comparisons
What the reference price percentage on Australian electricity offers means, how it is calculated against the DMO or VDO, and why your own usage can change the answer.
- Solar feed-in tariffs in 2026: how they work, Victoria's minimum ended, and what to compare
How solar feed-in tariffs are set in each state in 2026, why Victoria no longer has a minimum, flat versus time-varying rates and why self-consumption usually matters more.
- Solar Sharer Offer and Victoria's Midday Power Saver: free midday power explained
How the Solar Sharer Offer (from 1 July 2026 in NSW, SE Qld and SA) and Victoria's Midday Power Saver (from 1 October 2026) work, who can get them and how to test if they suit you.
- Time-of-use and demand tariffs in Australia: peak, shoulder, off-peak and kW charges
How time-of-use and demand electricity tariffs are billed, how smart meters affect your tariff, and how to tell whether these structures will raise or lower your bill.
- Victorian Default Offer (VDO) 2026–27: prices, solar soak and what it means for your bill
The ESC's VDO for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 explained — the typical bill change, the five distribution zones, the solar soak period and how to compare offers.
Worked Examples and Comparison Checklists
- How to compare electricity and gas plans in Australia, step by step (2026)
A practical method for comparing energy plans with Energy Made Easy or Victorian Energy Compare using your NMI and real usage, plus what to check before you switch.
- Energy concessions and rebates by state in 2026: what to ask for and where
State electricity and gas concessions, medical and life support rebates, emergency payment help and the federal Energy Bill Relief Fund status in 2026 — with official sources for each state.
- Flat rate vs time-of-use: a worked example to see which costs you less
Compare a flat electricity rate with time-of-use and free-midday plans using your own load profile — three household examples with the arithmetic and a break-even test.
- Gas vs all-electric home: what happens to your energy bills (worked example)
An illustrative worked example of how household gas and electricity bills change when you go all-electric in Australia — supply charges, MJ to kWh, tariffs and timing.
- How to read your electricity bill: a worked example line by line
A line-by-line worked example of an Australian electricity bill — supply charge, peak and off-peak usage, controlled load, solar credits, GST and concessions — with the maths shown.
- Solar savings worked example: self-use, feed-in credits and payback
Work out what rooftop solar saves on an Australian bill — self-consumed kWh, export credits, a lower feed-in tariff scenario and simple payback — with every step of the maths shown.
- Switching energy retailers: checklist, cooling-off period and what to expect
How switching electricity or gas retailers works in Australia — what to prepare, explicit informed consent, the 10-business-day cooling-off period, door-to-door sales rules and the first bill.
Bill Mistakes, Complaints and Official Help
- Common energy plan mistakes in Australia (and how to avoid each one)
The electricity and gas plan mistakes that cost Australian households most — ended benefit periods, conditional discounts, wrong tariff, ignoring supply charges, solar and gas pitfalls.
- Energy bill problems in Australia: where to get help, state by state
A map of common electricity and gas bill problems and the right place to take each — your retailer, the energy ombudsman in your state, the regulator, concessions and free financial counselling.
- How to complain to the energy ombudsman (EWON, EWOV, EWOSA, EWOQ)
Step-by-step guide to escalating an electricity or gas complaint to your state energy ombudsman — what to prepare, how the process works, outcomes and timeframes to expect.
- Estimated energy bills and back-billing: why your bill jumped and what you can do
Why Australian electricity and gas bills are sometimes estimated, how catch-up and back-bills arise, the limits on recovering undercharges, and how to dispute a bill that looks wrong.
- Can't pay your energy bill? Payment plans, hardship programs and disconnection rules
How energy payment plans and hardship programs work under the National Energy Customer Framework and Victoria's Energy Retail Code of Practice, including 2026 changes and disconnection protections.
- Moving house: connecting electricity and gas without overpaying
How to set up electricity and gas when you move in Australia — choosing a plan before move-in, connection and reconnection fees, move-in readings, standing offers and closing the old account.