Bill Checker

Average electricity bill for 3 people

Across the four cities below, a three-person household uses between 13.9 and 17.4 kWh a day. Where you live moves that figure more than almost anything else you can control.

Benchmark electricity use for 3 people, by city
City kWh a daykWh a yearEstimated yearly bill
Adelaide 16.76,102$3,561
Sydney 17.46,361$3,055
Melbourne 13.95,077$2,019
Brisbane 16.96,169$2,666

Benchmark source published: December 2020 How we work this out

What is different about a three-person household

The third person adds less than the second did. Benchmark use rises from about 5,060 kWh a year for two people to about 5,930 for three, which is 17% more electricity for 50% more people.

Three-person households are often a couple with a young child, and the extra load is mostly hot water and laundry rather than heating. If your bill jumped when the household grew but your heating habits did not change, hot water is the first place to look.

Season by season

Kilowatt hours per quarter for 3 people.

Benchmark electricity use for 3 people in kWh per quarter
City SummerAutumnWinterSpring
Adelaide 1,4601,4421,8461,354
Sydney 1,5301,5031,9031,425
Melbourne 1,1431,1651,6061,163
Brisbane 1,6441,5311,5451,449

Check your own bill

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