Average kWh used per day
Across the cities and household sizes below, benchmark use runs from 8.0 to 24.7 kilowatt hours a day. Household size, location and season all move the figure.
| City | 1 person | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 8.0 | 13.8 | 16.7 | 19.3 | 23.9 |
| Sydney | 8.5 | 14.3 | 17.4 | 20.0 | 24.7 |
| Melbourne | 8.1 | 13.3 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 20.1 |
| Brisbane | 9.3 | 14.0 | 16.9 | 21.0 | 24.1 |
Benchmark source published: December 2020 How we work this out
What a kilowatt hour is
A kilowatt hour is one unit of electricity: enough to run a 1,000 watt appliance for one hour. A 2,000 watt appliance running continuously for an hour uses 2 kWh.
Your bill will show the number of kWh you used, usually near the meter reading and often as a daily average as well. That figure is the most useful number on the bill, because unlike the dollar amount it does not depend on which plan you happen to be on.
The same household across the year
Kilowatt hours a day for a two-person household, by season.
| City | Summer | Autumn | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | 13.6 | 12.9 | 16.6 | 12.2 |
| Sydney | 14.2 | 13.4 | 17.0 | 12.8 |
| Melbourne | 12.4 | 12.2 | 16.2 | 12.2 |
| Brisbane | 15.5 | 13.9 | 13.6 | 13.2 |