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Compare electricity providers in the Australian Capital Territory
Compare electricity providers in the Australian Capital Territory
Written by
Rachel Gregg
Edited by
Ellie Garran
Reviewed by
Julia PaszkaSee our range of Energy Providers
iSelect does not compare all providers in the market or all plans offered by our partners in your area. Not all plans or special offers are available to all customers and some may only be available over the phone or on the website. Learn more.
How does the electricity market work in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)?
The ACT’s energy market is regulated by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission. It sets the prices for standing offers in the ACT and acts as a benchmarking tool and price cap for electricity retailers’ market plans.
This means you can compare and pick an electricity plan you like or stick with your standing offer plan. Sure, it may not always be the cheapest plan, but it’s a good safety net to make sure you won’t be overpaying for electricity. So, whether you don’t want to or can’t get involved in the retail market, the standing offer can mean no more uncertainty in your bills, just peace of mind.
Why should I compare electricity providers in the ACT?
Comparing electricity plans can mean finding a lower price or a better-suited plan for your usage habits. By comparing electricity plan options for your home, you can see which one could work in your favour more than another. iSelect can help you with this.
Comparing regularly (even once or twice a year) could save you from surprises like exit fees or raised rates. If you find your bills are slowly creeping up, it could be a good time to compare what’s out there.
It’s easy to find a deal with iSelect
Tell us about yourself
Share a few details about your household and the type of electricity plan you’re after.
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Search and filter a range of electricity plans based on what’s important to you.
Pick your preferred plan
Once you’ve found an electricity plan you like, you can close the deal online or speak with one of our electricity comparison experts over the phone.
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Let us know which plan you’d like to move to, and we can handle the switch, saving you time and hassle.
Compare a range of electricity providers in the ACT
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How much does electricity cost in the ACT?
ACT electricity costs for 2026–27 (assuming you’re using 6,500 kilowatt hours) are around $2,640 on the standing offer, which is set by the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission. That’s about on par with South East and regional Queensland and around 27% lower than South Australia, which has the highest energy costs in 2026–27.
If you’re on a market offer, the standing offer is still relevant to you since it doubles as a maximum price cap and benchmarking tool for electricity retailers in the state, similar to how the Default Market Offer works in other states. While what you end up paying individually can vary from this price, it’s a good ballpark figure to see where energy provider costs sit and how your market electricity plan might be affected.
| Standing offer | |
|---|---|
| ACT | $2,640 |
| NSW | $2,869 |
| SE Qld | $2,623 |
| Vic | $2,392 |
| SA | $3,357 |
| Reg Qld | $2,671 |
Note: These figures reflect indicative annual residential standing offer maximum rates in Australia for homes using 6,500 kWh annually in 2026–27. This data is based on information from the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission. Actual costs may vary depending on household locations, providers and usage. Data retrieved July 2026.
What does the future of electricity prices look like in the ACT?
Electricity prices in the ACT will increase by 2.7% in 2026–27, according to the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission. While wholesale electricity prices have eased, prices are still going up due to increased network costs and costs from government policies.
The ACT has been sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewables since 2020 and continues to invest in clean energy to reach net zero emissions by 2045. Even with strong renewable energy uptake and growing rooftop solar, the Australian Energy Market Commission expects electricity prices across Australia to slightly increase. But thanks to renewables, the increase is only predicted to be 0.8% on average.
Overall, renewable energy is helping to slow price increases, but they’re still expected to hit most of the country, if only by a small margin.
What should I keep in mind when comparing ACT electricity providers?
When comparing electricity providers for your home in ACT, you should understand your usage habits to be able to weigh up which charges, tariff and contract type work best for your home. You should also make sure to understand any fees or discounts included in your potential electricity plan to make sure your chosen plan meets your needs.
Charges
Every provider will base your bill, your supply and usage charges, but how these rates are structured can change from one provider to the next, which can impact your choice in retailer. The supply charge is a flat rate each day (even if you aren’t home or using any electricity), while the usage charge is applied to how much electricity you use. Both are important, but checking what these rates look like alongside your daily usage could help you find a plan with rates that work better for your lifestyle than another.
Contract types
It’s important to understand the different contract types that electricity providers’ plans have, as they can affect pricing and your ability to move between plans when comparing. Usually you’ll have the choice between flexible or fixed contract periods. Fixed plans come with rates that won’t change during the contract term, but might come with exit fees if you want to leave before your fixed contract term is up. Flexible plans can have lower costs, but they aren’t fixed, so your provider can change your plan’s rate to follow the flow of the market. Figuring out which type of plan best suits you is important in choosing the right provider.
Fees
Most energy plans will come with a variety of fees, which can all differ from one provider to another and affect the overall cost of your bills. These can include fees for late payments or paying by credit card, as well as fees for disconnecting and reconnecting your electricity supply. Although you might not be dealing with fees all that often on your bill, they can be worth keeping an eye on as you compare electricity plans.
Discounts
Checking whether your energy plan comes with any discounts and whether they apply to you is important if cost is a big factor when comparing. Some discounts can be unconditional or conditional, so you’ll either get the discount no matter what or you’ll need to meet certain conditions for it to apply, like paying by direct debit each quarter. These are called conditional discounts. You’ll want to check that these discounts will actually apply to you when choosing the right plan for your needs.
Tariff types
Some providers will offer plans with certain tariff types, which you’ll need to pay attention to since they can affect the way your usage is billed to you. There are single-rate tariffs, which use one set rate, and time-of-use tariffs, which split usage rates up throughout different periods of the day (peak, off-peak and shoulder). The tariff built into your chosen energy plan will determine how you’re billed, and some might work better for you than others. This is why it’s important to understand your usage patterns so you can tell which tariff type might work best for you.
While flat-rate and time-of-use tariffs are more common, there are also other tariffs, like demand tariffs, which base your rates on your highest consumption. Controlled-load tariffs run high-energy appliances, like your electric vehicle, on a different meter to run at cheaper times, while solar feed-in tariffs are for people who have solar panels and want to sell excess power back to the grid for bill credits.
Helpful tip
Start by checking how you actually use electricity before jumping into a plan. This will give you a better idea of what will suit you best. For example, if you’re on a time-of-use plan, have a look at what time of day you’re using the most power. You might be able to shift a few habits outside of peak times or find a plan with lower peak rates. Either way, it could take a little bit of pressure off your energy bill.
Julia Paszka
General Manager – Utilities & Credit Cards
Frequently asked questions
Who is my distributor in the ACT?
Evoenergy is the main electricity distributor operating in the ACT, though some residential customers are serviced by Essential Energy. A distributor transports electricity through power poles and cable lines and serves a certain location. While you don’t get to choose your distributor, you do get to choose your electricity retailer, who sells your power to you.
Who are some of the ACT’s electricity providers?
EnergyAustralia, Origin Energy, Red Energy, ActewAGL and GloBird are some of the electricity providers that operate within the ACT. The exact electricity providers available to you will depend on your postcode, tariff type and energy usage habits.
The electricity retailers in the ACT compared by iSelect are:
There are some other electricity retailers in the ACT, including:
- 1st Energy
- ActewAGL
- Alinta Energy
- Amber Electric
- Ampol Energy
- CovaU
- Diamond Energy
- Dodo
- Energy Locals
- Future X Power
- Globird Energy
- Indigo Power
- Kogan Energy
- Locality Planning Energy
- Momentum Energy
- Nectr
- Next Business Energy
- OVO Energy
- Pacific Blue Retail
- Powershop
- SUMO
- Tango Energy.
Just remember that iSelect can’t help you compare all of these energy companies.
What are peak, off-peak and shoulder times in the ACT?
In the ACT peak times are 7 am – 9 pm and 5 pm – 8 pm, off-peak is 10 pm – 7 am, and shoulder periods are 9 am – 5 pm and 8 pm – 9 pm. If you have a time-of-use tariff, you’ll pay a different amount in each of these times. Peak pricing is the highest cost, followed by shoulder and then off-peak. These different periods are there to persuade homes to avoid using the bulk of their energy in peak times and instead opt for cheaper rate periods. But you’ll only be able to get this tariff with a smart meter installed at your home.
If you’re on a time-of-use tariff, deciding what time you turn on your washing machine or dishwasher could mean a slightly cheaper bill. Just make sure to check your peak, shoulder and off-peak times, since these times and rates can change from one provider to another.
What electricity rebates and concessions apply in the ACT?
For ACT homeowners, the main electricity rebate available is the Electricity, Gas and Water rebate. There are more rebates and discounts available for the energy efficiency of your home and updating appliances, but the Electricity, Gas and Water is the main one that you can use to lower your electricity bills directly.
To be eligible for the Electricity, Gas and Water rebate, which can give you up to $800 a year back on your bills, you’ll need to have one of the following cards:
- Health Care Card
- Low Income Health Care Card
- ACT Services Access Card
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Veteran Gold Card (Prisoner of War, War Widow, or Totally Permanently Incapacitated).
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iSelect does not compare all energy providers or plans in the market. The availability of plans may change from time to time, depending on who iSelect’s providers are and what plans they make available to iSelect. Not all plans made available from iSelect providers may be compared by iSelect either due to commercial arrangements, area or availability, so not all plans or providers compared by iSelect will be available to all customers. Some plans and special offers are available only from iSelect’s contact centre or website. Energy plans are available only for properties located in eligible areas of Victoria, New South Wales, South East Queensland, South Australia and ACT. Click here to view iSelect’s range of providers.