Before you spend anything on new equipment, there are simple ways to work out what is driving a high bill. Start with these seven checks.
Your electricity rates may have changed
Most electricity bills include a usage charge, based on kilowatt-hours (kWh), and a daily supply charge. Your retailer may have adjusted either charge, or a discount may have expired. You can pay more even when you use the same amount.
What to do: Compare the usage rate and daily supply charge with an earlier bill. Use the Australian Government’s Energy Made Easy service to compare eligible plans in your area.
You are using more electricity than you realise
Air conditioning, working from home, more people in the house, electric hot water, pool pumps and extra appliances can slowly add to your energy use. Small changes add up.
What to do: Compare your average daily kWh with the same season last year, rather than just the dollar totals. This separates a change in how much you use from a change in price.
You may be using power at expensive times
Some NSW electricity plans have peak, shoulder and off-peak rates. Running the air conditioner, oven, dishwasher and washing machine at the same time can cost more if those periods carry higher rates. Demand tariffs can also charge based on peak demand.
What to do: Check whether you are on a single-rate, time-of-use, controlled-load or demand tariff. Move flexible jobs to cheaper periods where it suits you. The exact periods and charges depend on your plan and network.
Your hot water system could be a hidden contributor
Electric hot water can account for a meaningful share of household consumption. Long showers, faults, heat loss or an inefficient system can push use up, while storage heaters may have separate controlled-load tariffs.
What to do: Check the system type, age, tariff and any obvious leaks or odd behaviour. Ask a licensed professional to look at suspected faults or efficiency upgrades.
Your bill may use an estimated meter reading
In some circumstances a retailer may bill you on estimated rather than actual meter data. The next actual reading can then create an adjustment. A longer-than-usual billing period can also lift the total.
What to do: Look for “actual” or “estimated” readings, check the billing dates and review any adjustment line items. If something looks wrong, ask your retailer to explain it and review the bill.
Your electricity plan may no longer suit your household
A plan that worked a few years ago may not suit you now. Your routine, how many people live at home and when you use power can all change which plan is best value.
What to do: Compare the total expected annual cost, not just the headline discount. Look at supply charges, usage rates and conditions. Energy Made Easy is a free, independent place to start.
You are buying all your electricity from the grid
Without rooftop solar, you buy all your electricity from the grid. A well-designed solar system can cut those purchases when you use its power directly. Whether it is worth the money depends on your roof, shading, daytime usage, installation cost, tariff and export credits.
What to do: Get an estimate for your own home rather than relying on general advertising claims. Solar is not automatically the right investment for every home.
How much could rooftop solar reduce your bill?
Picture a household that uses 20 kWh a day and pays an illustrative usage rate of $0.30 per kWh. Its usage charges would be about $6 a day, excluding daily supply charges. If solar directly replaces 8 kWh of purchased electricity per day on average, the avoided purchase cost would be about $2.40 per day, or $876 over a 365-day year.
This is a calculation example, not a savings forecast or quote. Actual savings vary by season, weather, how much solar you use yourself, tariff and system performance. Installation costs also need to be counted before you judge payback.
Do you need a solar battery?
Battery or no battery? A battery may let you use some excess daytime solar later, but it adds upfront cost. Whether that is worthwhile depends on battery price, how you use power, your tariff and system design. A solar-only system can already reduce electricity purchases without a battery.
For the period 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, NSW regulator IPART published an all-day solar feed-in tariff benchmark of 3.4–6.5 cents per kWh. This is guidance, not a mandatory retailer rate. Retailers can offer different rates. Read IPART’s 2026–27 fact sheet.
Export credits can be much lower than the retail price of electricity, so using your own solar power as it is generated can be worth a lot. Compare solar-only and solar-plus-battery before deciding.
Five things you can do this week
- Check daily usage: compare kWh per day with the same period last year.
- Review rates: check usage charges, supply charges and tariff periods.
- Find the big loads: look at cooling, heating, hot water and pool equipment.
- Compare plans: use the government’s Energy Made Easy comparison service.
- Compare before committing: get an estimate for your own roof before you talk to any installer.
Is solar actually worth it for your NSW home?
Maybe a neighbour has put solar on, or this bill finally got you looking. You shouldn’t need to become a solar expert to understand your options.
EnergyBrain gives you indicative savings for your own roof. Check the assumptions, then decide whether a detailed assessment makes sense. No pressure, and no rush.
Frequently asked questions
Why has my electricity bill suddenly doubled?
Possible reasons include higher usage, changed tariffs, a longer billing period, an estimated reading or a correction to an earlier bill. Compare both daily kWh and rates, and ask your retailer about anything you can’t explain.
What uses the most electricity in an NSW home?
Big loads are often heating and cooling, electric hot water and pool pumps. The answer varies a lot with climate, appliance efficiency and household routines.
Can switching electricity providers reduce my bill?
Potentially. Compare available energy plans using Energy Made Easy, including supply charges, usage rates and any conditions.
Will solar panels eliminate my electricity bill?
Generally not. Grid-connected homes often still pay daily supply charges and may buy electricity when solar output is low. Actual savings depend on generation, how much solar you use yourself and your tariff.
Do I need a battery to save money with solar?
No. Solar panels can reduce grid electricity purchases without a battery. A battery needs its own cost-and-benefit check.
Is solar worthwhile if nobody is home during the day?
It can be, depending on your usage patterns, whether you can shift some use to daylight, system costs and tariff. An estimate for your own home is more reliable than a generic promise.
Keep reading
References and further reading
Information updated October 2026. Savings examples are illustrative, not guaranteed. Rates, tariffs and policies may change.