Compare electricity providers and tariffs in Queensland: SEQ and regional

How to find the cheapest electricity plan in Queensland

1. 1Check whether you are in south-east or regional QueenslandYour bill names your distributor: Energex covers Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and surrounds; Ergon Energy covers country and regional Queensland. A few southern areas are on Essential Energy's network.
2. 2In the south-east, rank plans against the $1,988 DMOEvery advertised SEQ plan must show how it compares with the Energex DMO. The checker below works the percentage out for any single-rate plan.
3. 3Run your own usage through Energy Made EasyIt lists every generally available plan for your postcode and ranks them on your usage, so it answers who is cheapest for you right now. In regional areas it mainly shows Ergon Energy Retail's tariffs.
4. 4In regional Queensland, choose the right tariffErgon's flat, time-of-use and Solar Sharer tariffs are all set by the QCA. Your smart meter data shows when you use power, which decides which one costs least.
5. 5Claim the Electricity RebateEligible pensioners, seniors and veterans get $399.47 a year off their power bill. Give your card details to any new retailer.

South-east Queensland: a competitive market with the DMO

Energex distributes electricity across south-east Queensland, and 43 retailers had residential customers somewhere in Queensland at 31 March 2026, according to the AER, almost all of them in the south-east. The Australian Energy Regulator's DMO caps standing offer prices and is the reference retailers must compare their plans against in advertising. For 2026-27 the residential DMO in the Energex zone is $1,988 a year on a flat rate and $1,914 on time of use, both for 4,600 kWh. About 10% of SEQ households were on a standing offer when the prices were set.

A flat-rate standing offer in the Energex zone can charge no more than 192.02 c a day for supply and 27.97 c/kWh for usage, including GST, so you can check a standing offer bill against those caps.

On 10 October 2026 the lowest-priced single-rate plans from AGL, Origin Energy, EnergyAustralia and Alinta Energy in the Energex zone were between 4% and 14% below the DMO at 4,600 kWh; each retailer's profile lists its plan and rates, for example AGL in Queensland. To see how Queensland fits with the rest of the country, our energy hub explains how to compare electricity plans across Australia.

Regional Queensland: notified prices and a single retailer

Outside the south-east, the Ergon network carries the power and Ergon Energy Retail is effectively the only retailer for homes; it had 644,443 residential customers at 31 March 2026, according to the AER. Prices are set by the QCA under the state's uniform tariff policy, which keeps regional prices in line with the south-east even though supply costs more. The Queensland Government pays Ergon the difference.

For 2026-27 the QCA's final determination cut the typical bill on tariff 11, the main residential flat rate, by around 6.9%, largely because notified prices are capped by the SEQ DMO.

Electricity tariffs in Queensland, 2026-27

In 2026-27 a flat-rate standing offer in south-east Queensland can charge no more than 27.97 c/kWh and 192.02 c a day, while Ergon's regional flat tariff 11 is 28.89 c/kWh and 180.51 c a day, both including GST. The table sets out the main residential tariffs in both markets; in regional Queensland, picking the right one is the main choice you have.

Time-of-use, demand and Solar Sharer tariffs need a smart meter.

• Flat rate: one usage rate at any time plus a daily supply charge. In the regions this is Ergon's tariff 11; in the south-east it is the most common market plan type, capped for standing offers at the rates in the table.
• Time of use: rates that change with the time of day. Ergon's residential tariffs 12D and 12E both have a peak from 4pm to 9pm every day, a cheaper daytime rate from 11am to 4pm and a night rate at all other times; 12E has the cheaper daytime rate and the dearer peak.
• Solar Sharer: free usage from 11am to 2pm, up to 24 kWh a day, with time-of-use rates at other times. The SEQ offer and Ergon's tariff 12F use the same rates, shown in the second table below.
• Controlled load: a separate circuit, usually for hot water or a pool pump, supplied at a cheaper rate during set hours, with no supply charge of its own. In the regions these are tariffs 31 and 33, which have interruptible supply; in the Energex zone the standing offer caps are 16.43 c/kWh and 16.75 c/kWh.
• Demand: usage rates plus a charge based on your highest demand in a peak window. It rewards households that avoid running several big appliances at once in the evening.

Who is my electricity supplier?

Two businesses sit behind your power supply. Your retailer sells you electricity, sends the bill and is the company you can choose. Your distributor owns and maintains the poles, wires and meter: Energex in the south-east, Ergon Energy in most of regional Queensland and Essential Energy in parts of the south. You cannot choose your distributor, and it stays the same when you switch retailer.

Your bill shows both. Retailers must print the distributor's name and its 24-hour number for faults and emergencies, along with your National Metering Identifier (NMI). If you are still unsure, your retailer can tell you.

The Queensland Electricity Rebate

Queensland pensioners, veterans and seniors can receive the Electricity Rebate of $399.47 a year and the Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate of $96.45 a year (both including GST). Eligible cards include the Queensland Seniors Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card (electricity rebate only) and the Veteran Gold Card; Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders are not eligible for the electricity rebate. Ask your retailer to apply it, and give your card details again if you switch. The Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme can help with a one-off crisis.

Solar feed-in tariffs in Queensland

In regional Queensland the QCA sets a flat feed-in tariff that Ergon pays. For 2026-27 it is 6.006 c/kWh, 31% lower than the 8.660 c/kWh paid in 2025-26, reflecting lower energy costs and better data on when solar is exported.

In south-east Queensland there is no regulated feed-in tariff; each retailer sets its own, and some pay more in the late afternoon and evening. The plan with the highest feed-in tariff is not always the cheapest overall, because a generous export rate often comes with higher usage rates or a higher supply charge, so weigh the whole plan against your own usage and exports. Our solar feed-in tariff guide compares the rules in every state.

Gas in Queensland

Mains gas reaches far fewer Queensland homes than electricity: the AER counted 212,394 residential gas customers at 31 March 2026, against about 2.2 million electricity customers. Where it is available you can choose your retailer. Ten retailers had residential gas customers: Origin Energy, AGL, Alinta Energy, Red Energy, Metered Energy, GloBird Energy, CovaU, Real Utilities, Locality Planning Energy and Savant Energy.

Two distributors run most of the pipes. Allgas Energy covers areas south of the Brisbane River, the South Coast, Toowoomba and Oakey; Australian Gas Networks covers the Brisbane CBD, Ipswich and suburbs north of the river. Some towns, such as Roma and Dalby, have council-run networks.

There is no reference price for gas, so compare gas plans on Energy Made Easy using a year of bills. Eligible card holders can claim the Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate of $96.45 a year.

Your rights and where to complain

Queensland is under the National Energy Retail Law. Since 1 July 2026 retailers can raise your prices no more than once a year, must offer a free way to pay, and cannot charge more than the standing offer once a plan's benefits end. If a complaint to your retailer is not resolved, the Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland handles it for free.