Average Winter Energy Bill in Australia: 2026 Guide

As winter settles across Australia, many households begin paying closer attention to the cost of heating, hot water and other energy use. However, an average winter energy bill can be difficult to define because Australian homes rely on different combinations of electricity, mains gas, bottled LPG, firewood and other fuels.

There is no official national average winter energy bill for Australia. Climate, household size, heating fuel, insulation, solar generation and tariff structure can all materially affect winter costs. As an electricity-only reference, one quarter of the AER’s 2026–27 annual comparison prices is approximately A$473–A$651 in the DMO regions (New South Wales, South East Queensland and South Australia). This is an evenly divided annual benchmark, not measured winter spending, and it excludes gas, LPG and firewood.

A household that uses gas heating, bottled LPG or purchased firewood must add those costs to its electricity bill to calculate its total winter energy spending.

2026–27 Default Market Offer Electricity Prices

The Default Market Offer is a regulated electricity safety-net price for residential and small-business customers on standing offers in New South Wales, South East Queensland and South Australia. It also acts as a reference price for comparing market electricity plans.

The final 2026–27 DMO took effect on 1 July 2026 and remains effective until 30 June 2027. It therefore applies only to the latter part of the 2026 winter.

For residential flat-rate standing offers:

• New South Wales prices decreased by 3.4%–5.0%, depending on the distribution zone.

• South East Queensland prices decreased by 7.2%.

• South Australia prices increased by 1.4%.

For residential time-of-use standing offers:

• New South Wales prices decreased by 3.7%–7.7%.

• South East Queensland prices decreased by 10.7%.

• South Australia prices decreased by 1.1%.

AER 2026–27 Residential Annual Comparison Prices

The following figures are annual electricity comparison benchmarks based on model household consumption. They are not average winter bills, combined energy bills, bill guarantees or maximum customer bills.

Actual electricity bills depend on the household’s consumption, supply charge, usage rates, tariff periods, retailer and available rebates or credits.

How to Calculate Your Total Winter Energy Bill

To estimate total household energy spending, add every energy source used during the billing period.

Total winter energy bill = electricity charges + mains gas charges + LPG costs + purchased firewood or other fuel costs − rebates and credits

Electricity Bill Formula

Electricity cost = daily supply charge × billing days + electricity used in each tariff period × applicable electricity rate

For a flat-rate plan, multiply total electricity use in kWh by one usage rate.

For a time-of-use plan, calculate peak, shoulder and off-peak consumption separately before adding the amounts together.

Mains Gas Bill Formula

Gas cost = daily gas supply charge × billing days + gas used in MJ × applicable usage rate

Some gas retailers use block pricing, where the usage rate changes after the household consumes a particular quantity. In that case, calculate each usage block separately.

LPG Cost Formula

LPG cost = quantity purchased × delivered unit price + cylinder rental, delivery and service charges

LPG may be sold by cylinder, litre or delivered bulk quantity. Use the amounts shown on the supplier invoice rather than relying on a national assumed price.

Firewood or Pellet Cost Formula

Wood-heating cost = quantity purchased × delivered price

The cost of useful heat also depends on fuel moisture, heater design and efficiency. Slow-combustion wood heaters are generally more efficient and produce less pollution than open fires or pot-belly stoves. Wood-heater use may also be restricted in some areas.

Example of a Combined Winter Energy Bill

The following is an illustrative 90-day calculation, not an Australian average.

The rates and usage figures are examples only. Replace them with the actual rates and consumption shown on the household’s electricity, gas and fuel invoices.

An all-electric household would exclude the gas components. A rural household using LPG or firewood would add those purchases instead.

Why Winter Energy Bills Can Rise

Heating is often one of the largest contributors to winter energy use, particularly in electrically heated homes. Depending on the climate zone, heating and cooling can account for approximately 20%–50% of household energy consumption.

Other causes of higher winter costs include:

• Longer heater operating times

• Colder incoming water for hot-water systems

• Increased lighting during shorter days

• More time spent indoors

• Clothes-dryer use during wet weather

• Heat loss through windows, doors, roofs and floors

• Separate supply charges for both electricity and gas

• Higher evening electricity rates on some time-of-use plans

There is no reliable universal rule that every Australian household’s winter bill will be 20%–30% higher than its summer bill. The seasonal difference depends on the climate, home, heating fuel, tariff and household behaviour.

Thermostat Settings Matter

Each additional degree of heating can increase energy use by approximately 5%–10%. Australian Government guidance recommends setting heating between approximately 18°C and 20°C where practical.

How Much Does Electric Heating Cost?

Running cost = appliance power in kW × operating hours × electricity rate

The following examples use an illustrative electricity rate of A$0.28 per kWh.

A 2kW heater used for five hours a day over 90 days would consume:

2kW × 5 hours × 90 days = 900kWh

At A$0.28 per kWh, that would cost approximately:

900kWh × A$0.28 = A$252

Actual costs may be lower if a thermostat cycles the heater on and off, or higher if the household pays a more expensive tariff.

Understanding Mains Gas Heating Costs

Gas heating costs depend on:

• The gas usage rate

• The daily gas supply charge

• The heater’s efficiency

• The size of the heated area

• Operating hours

• Thermostat settings

• Heat loss from the building

Gas-heater efficiency varies by design. Gas systems may lose heat through a flue or through ventilation required by unflued appliances. Many gas-heating systems also consume electricity for fans and controls, so those electricity costs should be included in the total.

Unflued portable gas heaters require ventilation and are banned or restricted in some jurisdictions. They release combustion products and water vapour into the room, so safe-use requirements should not be ignored in an attempt to reduce heating costs.

Understanding LPG and Bottled-Gas Costs

Homes without access to mains gas may use bottled or bulk LPG for heating, hot water or cooking.

The total winter LPG cost may include:

• Gas purchased

• Cylinder rental

• Delivery fees

• Service or account fees

• Emergency deliveries

• Different seasonal supplier prices

Because supplier arrangements differ widely, LPG invoices should be added directly to the household’s electricity costs rather than converted into a single assumed national average.

Understanding Firewood and Other Fuel Costs

Purchased firewood is part of the household energy bill even though it does not appear on an electricity or gas statement.

Include:

• The purchase price

• Delivery charges

• Storage or handling costs

• Fire starters or other consumables where material

Households should also consider heater efficiency. An open fireplace can require substantial ventilation and may deliver less useful heat into the room than a compliant slow-combustion wood heater. Smoke from wood heating can contribute to local air pollution, and restrictions apply in some areas.

Peak Tariffs and the Solar Sharer Offer

Electricity can cost more during peak tariff periods. Many time-of-use plans apply higher rates in the late afternoon or evening, but the exact peak, shoulder and off-peak times depend on the retailer, network, tariff, weekday and season.

How the Solar Sharer Offer Works

The Solar Sharer Offer became available on 1 July 2026. It provides eligible households with three hours of free electricity in the middle of each day.

The free periods are:

• New South Wales and South East Queensland: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

• South Australia: 12 p.m.–3 p.m.

Eligible households can use up to 24kWh of free electricity during the three-hour window each day. The household still pays its daily supply charge and electricity charges outside the free period.

Eligibility requirements include:

• Living in an eligible DMO area in NSW, South Australia or South East Queensland

• Having a smart meter

• Not being supplied through an embedded network

• Using a retailer required to offer the plan

Renters and homeowners may qualify, and rooftop solar is not required.

Strategic Load Shifting

Suitable activities that may be moved into a lower-cost or free period include:

• Washing clothes

• Running a dishwasher

• Using a clothes dryer

• Charging an electric vehicle

• Charging a compatible battery system

• Operating selected pool pumps or hot-water systems where the electrical setup allows it

Savings depend on how much consumption can genuinely be shifted and the prices charged at other times.

Can a Battery Reduce a Total Winter Energy Bill?

A battery can help manage the electricity component of a winter energy bill by storing rooftop-solar electricity or electricity obtained during a lower-cost or free tariff period.

It does not directly reduce:

• Mains gas supply or usage charges

• LPG purchases

• Firewood costs

• Other non-electric fuel expenses

A battery could indirectly reduce those costs only if a household replaces a fuel-burning appliance with an electric appliance and the complete cost of operating the electric alternative is lower.

Battery savings are not guaranteed. They depend on:

• Charging price

• Difference between peak and off-peak rates

• Battery conversion losses

• Usable capacity

• Solar generation

• Purchase and installation costs

• Household load profile

• Frequency of use

• Available rebates

Charging a battery from ordinary grid electricity and using it later does not automatically create savings because some energy is lost during charging and conversion.

Portable Power Station vs. Installed Home Battery

Portable Power Option: BLUETTI Elite 300

The BLUETTI Elite 300 provides 3,014.4Wh of nominal capacity, 2,400W of continuous AC output and up to 4,800W of surge output. It can operate many portable heaters and household appliances whose continuous and startup requirements remain within its output limits.

Elite 300 Heater-Runtime Example

Using a conservative planning assumption that allows 80% of nominal capacity for conversion losses and operating reserve:

Estimated runtime = 3,014.4Wh × 0.8 ÷ 2,000W

Estimated continuous runtime for a 2kW heater = approximately 1.2 hours

The 80% multiplier is a planning assumption rather than a guaranteed product-efficiency figure.

At an electricity rate of A$0.28 per kWh, the stored energy represents:

3.0144kWh × A$0.28 = approximately A$0.84

Actual grid-charging cost will be higher because charging is not 100% efficient. Charging the Elite 300 during an eligible free-electricity period could avoid the usage charge for energy drawn within the offer’s cap, although the household would still pay its normal daily supply charge.

Installed Home Battery Option: BLUETTI EP760

The BLUETTI EP760 is offered in current Australian configurations of:

• 19.84kWh

• 24.8kWh

• 39.68kWh

Available output options include 5kW or 7.6kW, depending on the selected configuration.

As an installed home-energy system, the EP760 can store rooftop-solar generation or eligible lower-cost grid electricity for later use.

Its effect on household bills depends on:

• System size

• Solar generation

• Electricity tariff

• Consumption pattern

• Installation requirements

• Available rebates

• Battery efficiency

• Frequency of cycling

The EP760 can help manage electricity spending, but it does not directly reduce gas, LPG or firewood charges.

How to Reduce Your Total Winter Energy Bill

1. Review Every Energy Source

Do not review the electricity bill in isolation. Add electricity, gas, LPG and purchased heating fuels together to understand total winter spending.

2. Compare Electricity and Gas Plans

Review supply charges, usage rates, tariff periods, discount conditions and estimated annual costs.

3. Keep Heating at a Practical Temperature

Setting heating between approximately 18°C and 20°C can reduce unnecessary energy consumption. Each additional degree may increase heating energy use by approximately 5%–10%.

4. Heat Only the Areas Being Used

Close doors and vents to unused rooms where appropriate and avoid heating the entire property when only one living area is occupied.

5. Reduce Heat Loss

Consider:

• Draught seals

• Well-fitted curtains

• Roof, wall and floor insulation

• Window improvements

• Closing curtains before dark

These measures reduce the amount of electricity, gas or firewood needed to maintain a comfortable temperature.

6. Shift Suitable Electricity Loads

Move flexible appliances into cheaper tariff periods or an eligible Solar Sharer window where practical.

7. Choose Efficient Heating Equipment

Compare appliance efficiency as well as fuel price. Reverse-cycle air conditioners can deliver several units of heating for each unit of electricity consumed because they transfer heat rather than generating it through electrical resistance.

8. Evaluate Batteries Using Real Consumption Data

Use the household’s actual hourly and seasonal electricity profile rather than assuming that every battery installation will deliver the same savings.

Conclusion

An average winter energy bill cannot be reduced to one national figure because Australian households use different fuels, tariffs and heating systems. The most useful approach is to calculate electricity, gas, LPG and purchased firewood separately and then combine them.

Households can manage winter costs by comparing energy plans, reducing heat loss, using efficient heating, adjusting thermostat settings and shifting suitable electricity loads to cheaper periods.

BLUETTI portable and installed battery systems can support the electricity component of this strategy. The Elite 300 provides flexible power for selected appliances and backup needs, while the EP760 is designed for larger-scale household electricity storage and tariff load shifting.