Your electricity bill doesn't tell you which appliances cost what. It presents a total and asks for a direct debit. This makes it easy to underestimate how much specific appliances contribute to that number — and how much it varies depending on where you live.
A household in South Australia runs the same fridge as a household in Tasmania and pays nearly double for the privilege. That's not a marginal difference — it's a gap that compounds over a 10- to 12-year appliance life into hundreds of dollars, and it changes the maths on whether a more efficient appliance is worth buying. Here's the breakdown by state, and which appliances are actually doing the most damage to your bill.
Why tariffs vary so much across states
Australian electricity prices are set at the state level and determined by a mix of factors: the generation mix (coal, gas, renewables), infrastructure costs, and regulated network charges that vary enormously by geography.
South Australia has the highest residential tariffs in the country — consistently around 42–48 cents per kWh on a standard flat rate. A significant portion of that is network costs, which are high relative to the number of customers sharing the infrastructure. Tasmania runs cheapest, with Aurora Energy's residential rates around 24–27 cents per kWh, partly because the state's predominantly hydro generation keeps wholesale costs lower. Other states cluster in the middle.
These are flat-rate averages for 2026. Time-of-use tariffs, solar export arrangements, and controlled-load meters (commonly used for off-peak hot water) all change the picture. But for estimating the cost of always-on or regularly used appliances, the flat rate is the right figure to work from.
Approximate flat-rate tariffs by state
From cheapest to most expensive, as of mid-2026:
- Tasmania: 24–27c/kWh
- ACT: 24–28c/kWh
- Northern Territory: 26–29c/kWh
- Victoria: 28–32c/kWh
- Queensland: 28–32c/kWh
- Western Australia: 29–32c/kWh
- New South Wales: 30–35c/kWh
- South Australia: 42–48c/kWh
These figures shift annually, and individual plans vary. Before making any calculation that materially affects a purchase decision, check your own bill or your retailer's current published rate — the per-unit charge is listed on every electricity bill in Australia.
What common appliances actually cost to run
The figures below use 30c/kWh as a national midpoint — broadly representative of NSW, Victoria, and Queensland. For South Australia, multiply annual costs by approximately 1.5. For Tasmania and the ACT, multiply by approximately 0.85.
| Appliance | Typical kWh/year | Annual cost at 30c | |---|---|---| | New fridge (400–480L, 4+ stars) | 300–400 | $90–$120 | | Old fridge (pre-2012, no inverter) | 600–850 | $180–$255 | | Second fridge (garage bar fridge) | 400–700 | $120–$210 | | Dishwasher (daily use) | 220–280 | $66–$84 | | Front loader washing machine | 120–180 | $36–$54 | | Top loader washing machine | 400–550 | $120–$165 | | Vented or condenser dryer | 400–560 | $120–$168 | | Heat pump dryer | 180–260 | $54–$78 | | Split system A/C (2.5–3.5kW, regular use) | 700–1,000 | $210–$300 | | Ducted A/C (whole home, average use) | 3,000–5,500 | $900–$1,650 | | Electric hot water (continuous element) | 3,000–4,200 | $900–$1,260 | | Heat pump hot water | 700–1,100 | $210–$330 |
These are ranges, not precise figures — energy use varies by model, household usage patterns, and local climate. An SA household running ducted air conditioning through a hot summer will sit at the upper end of those ranges, or beyond them.
The highest-cost offenders most households underestimate
Electric hot water. Barely mentioned in appliance buying guides, but typically the single largest contributor to electricity bills in older homes. A continuous-element storage hot water system running at 3,000–4,200kWh/year costs $900–$1,900 annually depending on your state. A heat pump hot water system uses roughly 65–75% less electricity for the same output. The payback on switching is often three to five years.
An old fridge. A fridge manufactured before 2012 without an inverter compressor commonly uses 650–900kWh/year — two to three times what a current 4-star model uses. If you're running an old secondary fridge in the garage or laundry, check whether it's actually earning its keep. A mostly-empty old bar fridge running year-round in a warm garage can easily cost $150–$250 annually in electricity alone.
Ducted air conditioning. The most energy-intensive appliance in most Australian homes, particularly in Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. A ducted system cooling a four-bedroom house through a hot summer can use 4,000–6,000kWh in a single season. Proper zoning — closing off rooms not in use — is the single highest-impact change most households can make to their energy bill without buying anything new.
How the star rating system actually translates to dollars
Australian appliances carry an energy star rating from 1 to 6. Each additional star represents roughly 20–25% less energy use. But the star rating is relative to the appliance's size category, not an absolute measure of how much power it draws.
A 600L fridge with 4 stars uses more electricity than a 400L fridge with 3.5 stars — because the 4-star rating means the 600L model is efficient for its size, not that it uses less power in absolute terms. The annual kWh figure printed on the label (required under Australian energy labelling law) is the number that tells you what you'll actually pay. Comparing kWh figures directly across models is more useful than comparing star ratings across different size categories.
The label also assumes standard test conditions — a set ambient temperature, a standard load, a typical usage pattern. Real-world usage will vary, but the relative ranking between models holds.
Buying on total cost, not purchase price
The full cost of an appliance is the purchase price plus running costs over its life. For a fridge with a 12-year expected life, those running costs typically exceed the purchase price.
A fridge that costs $500 more but uses 200kWh less per year pays back the premium in eight years at 30c/kWh — and saves money in years nine through twelve. In South Australia at 45c/kWh, the same premium pays back in just over five years. In Tasmania at 25c/kWh, it takes about ten years.
The same logic applies to dryers, dishwashers, and washing machines — any appliance you'll run regularly for a decade or more. The cheaper model often isn't cheaper over time.
Practical changes that make a real difference
Time-of-use tariffs. If your plan has cheaper off-peak rates — typically overnight or on weekends — shifting dishwasher and washing machine loads to those windows can reduce their running costs by 30–40%. Many modern appliances have delayed-start timers specifically for this.
Fridge temperature settings. The ideal fridge compartment temperature is 3–4°C; the ideal freezer temperature is −18°C. Each degree colder than necessary adds approximately 5% to the fridge's running cost. Many households have their fridge set colder than it needs to be.
Standby power. A typical Australian home uses 5–10% of its total electricity on appliances in standby mode — TVs, set-top boxes, gaming consoles, phone chargers drawing nothing. It's a lower-effort saving than appliance upgrades, but it's real money.
Once you're ready to find a fridge that balances purchase price against running efficiency, take our fridge quiz to compare options across Australian retailers.