Victoria Electricity Cost Calculator
Victorian electricity prices are regulated against the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), set by the Essential Services Commission (ESC), not the AER, making Victoria's reference price mechanism distinct from other states. The VDO applies to households on the CitiPower, Powercor, AusNet Services, Jemena, and United Energy distribution networks. For 2025–26, typical Victorian usage rates range from 26–34 cents/kWh, with a daily supply charge of approximately 95–110 cents. Average Victorian household consumption is around 4,000–5,500 kWh per year (lower than NSW due to milder climate), giving annual bills of approximately ,500–,500. Victoria's Solar Homes Program provided rebates for rooftop solar, helping drive one of the highest solar penetration rates in the country. Solar feed-in tariffs are set by the ESC as a minimum floor rate, currently around 4.9 cents/kWh, with many retailers offering slightly higher. The Victorian Government's Compare Energy website lets you compare all retailer offers.
How the calculations work
Daily cost
Each appliance's daily cost is calculated as:
cost = (watts ÷ 1,000) × usage (kWh/day) × rate ($/kWh) × days + supply charge × days
For example, a 2400W appliance running 1.5h/day at 28.5¢/kWh:
(2400 ÷ 1,000) × 1.5 kWh × 0.285 × 30 days = $3.08
Where the supply charge is a fixed daily cost added regardless of usage.
Solar estimate
Annual solar production splits into two parts, what you use at home and what you export to the grid:
annual production (kWh) = system size (kW) × output (kWh/kW/year) self-consumed (70%) = annual production × 0.70 exported (30%) = annual production × 0.30 self-consumption savings = self-consumed kWh × electricity rate export earnings = exported kWh × feed-in tariff rate
The 70/30 split is a representative assumption, actual self-consumption rates vary from 20% to 50% depending on household occupancy patterns and usage timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does electricity cost in Victoria?
Victoria's average electricity rate is approximately 28.5 cents per kWh with a daily supply charge of around 98 cents/day as of 2025-26. Victoria uses time-of-use pricing on many plans, meaning rates are higher during peak hours (typically 3pm-9pm on weekdays) and lower during off-peak and shoulder periods. The AER's Default Market Offer for Victoria reflects these time-of-use structures.
What is Victoria's regulated feed-in tariff?
Victoria has the lowest regulated minimum feed-in tariff in mainland Australia, set at approximately 5.2 cents per kWh as of 2025-26. This is the minimum retailers must pay for exported solar energy. Many retailers offer higher rates (up to 7-9 cents) to attract solar customers. Because this rate is low, Victorian solar owners benefit significantly more from maximising self-consumption rather than relying on export earnings.
How does Victoria's time-of-use pricing work?
Victoria's time-of-use pricing divides the day into peak (3pm-9pm weekdays, highest rate), shoulder (7am-3pm and 9pm-10pm weekdays, medium rate), and off-peak (all weekend and public holidays, lowest rate) periods. Shifting high-consumption activities like dishwashing, laundry, and EV charging to off-peak periods can meaningfully reduce bills. The daily supply charge applies regardless of time of use.
Which network area am I in?
Victoria's electricity networks are: CitiPower covers inner Melbourne. United Energy covers Melbourne's outer suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula. AusNet covers eastern and north-eastern Victoria including the Yarra Valley. Powercor covers western Melbourne and much of western Victoria. This calculator uses Victoria-wide representative averages.