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Compare electricity providers in New South Wales (NSW)
Compare electricity providers in New South Wales (NSW)
Written by
Andrew Kemp
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 are electricity prices set in New South Wales (NSW)?
Thanks to energy market deregulation, NSW’s electricity providers set their own prices, within the limits of the Default Market Offer (DMO). The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) reviews and sets the DMO every year to serve as a price cap for standing offers and a reference point for market offers. While providers cannot charge more than the DMO price for standard plans, they have complete freedom to set prices above or below the DMO in their market offers as long as they include the DMO as a reference price.
Think of the DMO as the AER’s safety net for consumers that aren’t actively comparing plans. It acts as a ceiling that standard plan costs can’t soar past and is calculated using benchmark costs for each of the state’s energy distributors, based on typical household usage on a single-rate tariff. In 2025–26, the benchmark for NSW residential customers without controlled load translated to typical annual costs ranging from $1,965 in Ausgrid distribution zone (based on annual usage of 3,900 kWh) to $2,741 in the Essential Energy area(based on annual usage of 4,600 kWh).1Australian Energy Regulator – Default Market Offer (DMO) 2025-26 final determination, p114 It’s important to note that these are benchmark figures – not personalised quotes.
Market offers, on the other hand, are where retailers can compete for those shopping around for discounts and alternative pricing structures (think off-peak plans!). Comparing a range of energy plans is the best way to find one that can balance your energy demand with your budget.
What makes up my electricity bill in New South Wales?
Your electricity bill consists of two main charges – a daily supply charge and a usage charge. The daily electricity supply charge is a flat fee tied to your place’s power connection and appears on your bill whether you use any power or not. Your usage charge, on the other hand, covers what you actually use and is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).
Depending on your electricity plan, you might also see different rates or tariffs for different times of the day, like peak, shoulder, and off-peak. When choosing between plans, the importance of each charge will likely depend on how much you use. For example, if you have a solar power set-up and can slash the amount of power you use from the grid, then a cheaper daily supply charge may be more important to you. And the opposite is also true, households without solar panels and higher usage rates may be more concerned with the price per kWh.
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Helpful tip
The energy market in New South Wales is deregulated. This means that electricity retailers have a little more wiggle room when it comes to setting their own prices and tariffs. But why does that matter to you?
It means you’re the one energy retailers want to impress! And that’s why you need to be ready to compare their offers. You want to look out for competitive prices on the tariff structures available to you.
For instance, if your smart meter is configured for time-of-use tariffs – where you get charged more when you use electricity during ‘peak’ hours, like during the evening – you might want to look for lower peak time prices, if that’s when you’re using the bulk of your electricity. If you can find a plan that works with your schedule, you might just end up saving a decent chunk of change.
Dean Ipaviz
Sustainability Expert and Presenter
Which electricity distributors cover New South Wales (NSW)?
Your distribution network will depend on your NSW postcode and will generally either be Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, or Essential Energy. The three companies are each responsible for a different part of the state’s power supply. Let’s take a closer look at each:
- Ausgrid covers Sydney’s inner, northern, and eastern metropolitan suburbs.
- Endeavour Energy looks after Sydney’s southern and western metropolitan areas, even extending as far as the Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
- Essential Energy handles the rest of regional and country NSW.
It’s worth remembering that your electricity distributor doesn’t sell individual power plans but instead supplies electricity wholesale to NSW’s energy retailers.
How many energy retailers operate in New South Wales (NSW)?
There are dozens of energy retailers across NSW, each offering different plans and pricing structures. To simplify the energy comparison process, iSelect offers a comparison service of plans from the below energy retailers in NSW, including:
How much does electricity cost in New South Wales (NSW)?
While your power costs will depend on many factors – like location and usage – an average NSW household could pay around 49–59 cents per kWh on standard plans.2Australian Energy Regulator – Default Market Offer (DMO) 2025-26 final determination, p114 This figure is based on typical household usage in homes without separately metered appliances (like hot water systems) under the Australian Energy Regulator (AER)’s 2025–26 Default Market Offer (DMO).
The AER sets its benchmarks by modelling what a typical household would pay in different parts of the state. For Ausgrid customers, that works to $1,965, based on 3,900 kWh of annual energy consumption. For Endeavour Energy customers, that comes in at $2,411, based on 4,900 kWh of consumption. And for Essential Energy customers, that works out to $2,741, based on 4,600 kWh of consumption.3Australian Energy Regulator – Default Market Offer (DMO) 2025-26 final determination, p114
Actual network prices are set by NSW distributors, are approved by the AER, and are reflected in the DMO to create fair pricing for everyone.
You may have noticed that the cost varies between distributors; that’s because the AER estimates average usage in each area. To help make this easy to understand, we’ve also calculated the cost per kWh for each region’s distributor. This comes to $0.50 for Ausgrid, $0.49 for Endeavour and $0.59 for Essential.
While the DMO is a helpful benchmark, keep in mind that it’s just a starting point for your comparison journey. If you aren’t sure which distributor you’re with, you can check your latest electricity bill or ask your electricity retailer.
Retailers are competing for customers willing to compare their current bill against market offers, so it’s always worth checking whether you could be on a plan that better suits your needs.
Comparing electricity in New South Wales (NSW) explained
When comparing electricity plans, it’s important to have a checklist of your non-negotiables – think things like price, flexibility, and any perks that mean a plan fits into your lifestyle. To help you find a great match, our short explainer video can help!
Laura Crowden
ISELECT SPOKESPERSON
How do I choose a suitable electricity provider in New South Wales (NSW)?
To choose an electricity provider in NSW, start by comparing standing offers and market offers. It’s also worth understanding how fees apply, checking whether you’re eligible for any discounts or perks, and considering payment options and billing timing. We can help you weigh up these factors by comparing a range of plans.
Contract type
Electricity plans come in two flavours; standard offers and market offers. Standing offers are tied to the Default Market Offer (DMO), which caps what providers can charge for fair pricing. Market offers – sometimes referred to as retail offers or plans – let you negotiate rates and sometimes score some added perks or discounts. Just watch out for possible eligibility conditions like ‘paying your bill on time’ that are tied to these discounts.
Fees
If you move house, there could be fees for disconnecting and reconnecting your power with certain retailers. Fixed-term contracts might even hit you with an exit fee if you leave before the contract term finishes. But quickly skimming your contract could help you avoid any surprise fees, making switching retailers down the track much easier.
Discounts
Energy retailers are eager to win you over, which is why so many plans often come with incentives like benefits, sign-up discounts, or perks for paying on time. But it’s a good idea to take the time to read through the terms and conditions to know exactly what eligibility requirements those energy discounts come with.
Payment terms
It’s important to know when your bills are expected and how to pay them. So, before you sign up, check what payment methods are accepted and if there are any additional charges for the method you choose.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Default Market Offer (DMO)?
The DMO is both a price cap for standing offer contracts and a reference price for market offers, ensuring greater stability and transparency for New South Wales’s energy customers. The creation of the DMO in 2019 meant that electricity retailers not only had an enforceable ceiling on their standard offer plans, but they also had to show a comparison percentage above or below this price on their market offers. This helps you see if the market offer is less or more than the DMO, as well as quickly compare a range of market offers from different retailers.
How much have electricity rates increased in New South Wales (NSW)?
Electricity prices have gone up noticeably over the past couple of years. From 1 July 2022 to 1 July 2025, the Default Market Offer (DMO) in NSW rose by about 9% thanks to higher wholesale electricity costs across the board.4Australian Energy Regulator – 2024–25 Default market offer prices, p11 Remember, the DMO’s job is to strike a balance – keeping prices fair while accounting for those rising costs.
The good news is you don’t have to stick with a standing offer plan. Many electricity retailers offer market plans that are often cheaper than the DMO. That’s why the DMO is so handy, it’s a benchmark you can use to compare plans to find you a better-value offer.
Can I get any government electricity rebates and discounts in New South Wales (NSW)?
The NSW Government has a range of rebates and concessions that could help if paying your energy bills has become a bit of a stretch, including the NSW Gas Rebate, the Low-Income Household Rebate and the Family Energy Rebate.
We’ve put together a quick list of some of the ones that could be relevant to you, but you can always check for more on the NSW Government’s site.
- NSW Gas Rebate: The state government has made this annual rebate available to eligible concession card holders. Residential customers could receive up to $110 each financial year, while embedded network customers could receive $121 each financial year.
- Low-Income Household Rebate: This annual rebate is a quarterly credit on your energy bill, with retail customers receiving up to $285 per financial year. Customers on an embedded network will receive $313.50. You’ll need the appropriate concession card to be eligible.
- Family Energy Rebate: If you receive the Family Tax Benefit, you likely can apply for the NSW Family Energy Rebate. With it, retail customers can receive up to $180 each financial year, while embedded network customers can receive up to $198.
- Life Support Energy Rebate: If your household uses approved medical equipment at home, this rebate could help you save up to $1,343 for retail customers and up to $1,478 for embedded network customers each financial year. This depends on what types of equipment and how many life-saving machines are in use.
- Medical Energy Rebate: If a medical practitioner confirms you can’t self-regulate your body temperature, you may be eligible for this rebate. Retail customers that meet the criteria could get up to $285 a financial year (paid quarterly), while embedded network customers could receive $313.
- Seniors Energy Rebate: If you’re an independent retiree, this rebate could get you up to $200 each financial year to help cover your power bills.
- Energy Accounts Payment Assistance: If you’re experiencing a short-term financial crisis or emergency that leaves you struggling to pay your bill, this rebate could give you a one-off payment to help.
How do I manage my electricity plan when moving house?
About a week before your move, contact your energy provider to close your current account. Moving house is a good opportunity to compare your options with iSelect. If your current provider still stacks up, then all you need to do is give them your new address. They’ll ask for your move-out date, a forwarding address, and arrange a final meter reading. Just make sure to check if they have any disconnection fees you’ll need to pay if you do end up switching across.
No one wants to walk into their new home with no power ready for all your appliances and internet. To make sure your home’s ready for move-in day, call up your provider and let them know your new address and details, so everything’s ready from day one.
For renters, you’ll need to double-check your lease to see who’s responsible for setting up and paying the electrical bills. In most cases the renter will pay for bills along with any reconnection/disconnection fees.
How do I switch electricity providers in New South Wales?
You can switch providers by signing up directly with a different electricity retailer or using a service like iSelect to compare from a range of providers to find a great deal for you. Many people stick with their current retailer because they think switching to a new provider is too hard, but the reality is that you could have all the hard work done for you with a simple call or a few clicks online – and you could possibly even save money in the process.
Which energy retailers operate in New South Wales (NSW)?
In addition to the retailers we compare, there are dozens of other retailers that operate in NSW. The NSW Government’s Energy Made Easy website has a complete (and lengthy) list of all the retailers operating in the state, which is updated over time. Here are some of the noteworthy inclusions:
- 1st Energy
- ActewAGL
- Alinta Energy
- Amber Electric
- Coles Energy
- CovaU
- Diamond Energy
- Dodo
- GloBird Energy
- Indigo Power
- Kogan Energy
- Locality Planning Energy
- Momentum Energy
- Nectr
- OVO Energy
- Pacific Blue Retail
- Powershop
- Smart Energy
- SUMO
- Tango Energy
- Telstra Energy
Note: iSelect doesn’t compare all providers or plans in the market. See our website to view our range of providers.
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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.