Business electricity prices for Australian bioenergy projects
Australian business electricity costs depend on network area, annual consumption, meter type and load profile, not just the state. This page compares published 2026-27 small-business standing-offer and regulated tariffs across eight jurisdictions, usage rates, daily supply charges, GST basis and eligibility, and keeps quarterly wholesale prices separate. Your own bill or retailer quote always replaces these benchmarks.
Electricity: latest public references
Eligible small-business reference bills include allocated fixed charges. They are not a national industrial tariff.
Delivered industrial quote: project-specific, not established by these references. Figures exclude GST only where tax is evidenced. Unknown or study-specific tax remains source-native.
| Reference | Price | Period and boundary | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid (NSW) | A$411.18 to A$411.18/MWh; Excluding GST | 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027; Ausgrid (NSW); Annual reference bill divided by 10 MWh; includes allocated daily supply charge. Not an industrial market offer. | Australian Energy Regulator; Table 2.2; Figure 2.4, PDF p.20; checked 2026-10-11 |
| Endeavour (NSW) | A$394.82 to A$394.82/MWh; Excluding GST | 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027; Endeavour (NSW); Annual reference bill divided by 10 MWh; includes allocated daily supply charge. Not an industrial market offer. | Australian Energy Regulator; Table 2.2; Figure 2.4, PDF p.20; checked 2026-10-11 |
| Essential (NSW) | A$501.55 to A$501.55/MWh; Excluding GST | 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027; Essential (NSW); Annual reference bill divided by 10 MWh; includes allocated daily supply charge. Not an industrial market offer. | Australian Energy Regulator; Table 2.2; Figure 2.4, PDF p.20; checked 2026-10-11 |
| Energex (QLD) | A$349.91 to A$349.91/MWh; Excluding GST | 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027; Energex (QLD); Annual reference bill divided by 10 MWh; includes allocated daily supply charge. Not an industrial market offer. | Australian Energy Regulator; Table 2.2; Figure 2.4, PDF p.20; checked 2026-10-11 |
| SA Power Networks (SA) | A$469.27 to A$469.27/MWh; Excluding GST | 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027; SA Power Networks (SA); Annual reference bill divided by 10 MWh; includes allocated daily supply charge. Not an industrial market offer. | Australian Energy Regulator; Table 2.2; Figure 2.4, PDF p.20; checked 2026-10-11 |
Display conversion uses an indicative 30-day average, not a real-time rate. Calculations, project prices and downloads remain AUD.
Why state alone does not set your electricity price
Most site owners assume one price per state. In practice, NSW has three distribution networks with different usage and supply charges, Victoria publishes five network-area benchmarks, and Queensland separates south-east (Energex) from regional (Ergon) tariffs. Meter configuration, voltage and interval load decide which tariff applies and what time-of-use periods cost.
How to use these tariffs in a project screen
Select your state and network area, enter annual consumption from your bills, and add time-of-use shares from interval data where the tariff requires them. The result is a screening estimate of usage plus fixed supply charges. Expired tariffs are flagged and cannot be used. Pass a tariff into the project viability tool, or enter your actual bill instead, a measured bill always takes priority.
Retail tariffs versus wholesale prices
Quarterly wholesale averages from AEMO describe the spot market before network, environmental and retail charges. They are useful for export and offtake context but are not a retail price, so they appear in a separate section and are never mixed with published tariffs.
What these figures do not cover
Large-market and industrial contracts, demand charges for larger connections, solar or export feed-in arrangements and negotiated retailer offers are not included. Victorian benchmarks are published as annual bills only, so usage and supply components cannot be scaled to other consumption levels.
Electricity history and commercial boundaries
The shared service is prepared for reviewed small-business billed price observations with separate customer and offer classes. These are not industrial contracts, export/PPA rates or a reconstruction of network charges. Historical, current and forecast views preserve source periods. Existing tariff eligibility, fixed charges and calculator remain unchanged.
What is the current all-in price?
Current electricity price including all taxes and charges, excluding GST (AUD/MWh)
A$350 to A$502. 2026–27 small-business standing-offer reference, not a national industrial price. Effective 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. AER Default Market Offer annual bill for a small business using 10 MWh a year on a flat tariff, divided by 1.1 to remove GST and by 10 MWh. Includes energy, network, environmental scheme and retail costs plus the daily supply charge. Your effective price changes with annual usage and tariff eligibility. Not included: GST. The DMO is the maximum standing offer price; market offers are often lower. Not applicable to large sites, Victoria, Tasmania, WA or regional QLD.
Australian Energy Regulator: AER Default Market Offer 2026-27 final determination, Table 2.2; Figure 2.4, PDF p.20
Frequently asked questions
Which electricity price should I use in a bioenergy feasibility screen?
Use your own 12-month bills or a written retailer quote. Published tariffs are eligible-customer benchmarks for early screening only, and they may not apply to larger or industrial connections.
Why are wholesale prices lower than business tariffs?
Wholesale prices exclude network, environmental, metering and retail charges. They describe the spot market, so they cannot be compared directly with a retail tariff.
Why can't I calculate a Victorian tariff for my consumption?
The Victorian Default Offer benchmarks used here are published as annual bills at a reference consumption. Usage and supply components were not extracted, so scaling them would invent figures.
Does an expired tariff still work as a default?
No. Tariffs past their effective end date are flagged and excluded from calculator defaults until a current schedule is loaded.
Sources & References
- aer.gov.au, AER, Final determination: Default market offer 2026–27
Publication: Date not verified
Observation period: Not recorded
Relevant page / section: Claim-level locator not yet verified
Last link / title verification: Not verified
Verification incomplete, do not rely on this reference for an investment or approval decision.
Source metadata and claim-level evidence require verification.
- aemo.com.au, AEMO, Quarterly Energy Dynamics Q2 2026
Publication: Date not verified
Observation period: Not recorded
Relevant page / section: Claim-level locator not yet verified
Last link / title verification: Not verified
Verification incomplete, do not rely on this reference for an investment or approval decision.
Source metadata and claim-level evidence require verification.