Commitment
Power bills: the $275 promise
Did household power bills fall by $275 as promised?
Power bills: the $275 promise. Not met.
- Latest
- +$387
- Since the government took office
- Over the past year
Power bills: the $275 promise
- Nominal
- Regulated default offers
- South Australia (SA Power Networks)+$494
- NSW (Ausgrid)+$387
- South-East Qld (Energex)+$368
- Victoria (Victorian Default Offer)+$188
- The promise−$275
The commitment
It will cut power bills … by $275 a year for homes by 2025, compared to today.
How the verdict is reached
Not met if the regulated default power price in the benchmark regions is not $275 a year lower than when the promise was made, now that the 2025 deadline has passed.
Today: The 2025 deadline has passed and default prices are higher, not $275 lower.
What this is
Each year energy regulators set a 'default offer', a maximum price for households on standard electricity contracts, based on typical usage in each region. It is the most consistent official yardstick for what a typical power bill costs.
Why it matters
Before the 2022 election, Labor promised its energy plan would cut household power bills by $275 a year by 2025. The regulators' own numbers show whether that happened.
More from the figures
- Default Market Offer, 2022-23 to 2026-27: NSW (Ausgrid) $1,512 → $1,899; South-East Queensland (Energex) $1,620 → $1,988; South Australia $1,840 → $2,334.
- Victorian Default Offer: $1,403 → $1,591 over the same period.
- The default offers are price caps on standing offers set by regulators for a typical household. Many households are on cheaper market offers, and the caps don't include government rebates.
How it’s calculated
Annual bill at benchmark usage for residential customers on a flat tariff without controlled load (GST inclusive), from the regulators' final determinations. Change = 2026-27 minus 2022-23.