Compare electricity plans in South Australia
No retailer is cheapest for every South Australian household, so rank plans by how far below the $2,334 Default Market Offer (DMO) they are, then check the best few against your own usage on Energy Made Easy. One DMO covers the whole state, because SA Power Networks runs a single network zone, and it was the only zone in the country where the flat-rate DMO rose this year: by 1.4% for a household using 4,000 kWh. The time-of-use DMO fell 1.1% to $2,276.
SA has a competitive market, with 36 retailers holding residential electricity customers at 31 March 2026, according to the Australian Energy Regulator. This page covers the DMO and its caps, why SA prices are higher, the Solar Sharer plan with free power from 12pm to 3pm, gas, concessions and feed-in tariffs.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team · Last reviewed
General information only. We don't compare every provider or plan in the market, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through our links.
How to find the cheapest electricity plan in SA
- 1Rank plans against the $2,334 DMOEvery advertised SA plan must show how it compares with the DMO. The further below, the cheaper the plan is for a household using 4,000 kWh a year. The checker below works the percentage out for any single-rate plan.
- 2Compare on Energy Made EasyThe AER's free comparator lists every generally available electricity and gas plan in SA and ranks them on your own usage, including smart meter data. It is the most complete place to compare SA prices.
- 3Look at time of use and the Solar Sharer if you can shift usageIf you can run appliances between 12pm and 3pm, the Solar Sharer plan's free window may beat a flat rate. Check the peak rates on the fact sheet first.
- 4Read the Basic Plan Information DocumentIt lists every rate, the supply charge, discount conditions, benefit periods and any exit fee.
- 5Switch, then tell ConcessionsSAThe new retailer arranges the transfer and you have 10 business days to withdraw. Retailers cannot move your Energy Bill Concession, so update your details with ConcessionsSA once the first bill arrives.
Check a plan against the reference price
Enter a single-rate plan's usage rate and daily supply charge from its fact sheet. You get its yearly cost at your zone's standard usage and where it sits against the 2026-27 reference price.
The 2026-27 Default Market Offer for SA Power Networks is $2,334 a year at 4,000 kWh, made up of a supply charge of 180.05 c a day and a usage rate of 41.91 c/kWh. Enter a plan's two rates to compare it.
Yearly cost = usage rate × kWh + supply charge × 365 days, the same sum the regulators use. For single-rate plans without controlled load. For time-of-use, demand, block-rate or controlled load plans, use the percentage on the plan's fact sheet or the government comparator. The standing offer row uses the regulated flat-rate tariff for your zone, the most a retailer can charge on a standing offer. Figures include GST. Sources: AER, Default market offer prices 2026-27 final determination.
The SA Default Market Offer for 2026-27
The Australian Energy Regulator sets the DMO for SA each year. It caps standing offer prices and is the reference retailers must use when advertising other plans. About 8% of SA households were on a standing offer when the 2026-27 prices were set.
A flat-rate standing offer in SA can charge no more than 180.05 c a day for supply and 41.91 c/kWh for usage, including GST. The usage cap is the highest of the five DMO zones. Our energy hub sets SA beside the other states and explains how to compare electricity plans across Australia.
| Customer and tariff | Annual price | Usage assumed | Change on 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential, flat rate | $2,334 | 4,000 kWh | +$33 (+1.4%) |
| Residential, time of use | $2,276 | 4,000 kWh | −$25 (−1.1%) |
| Residential, Solar Sharer Offer | $2,276 | 4,000 kWh | New in 2026-27 |
| Small business, flat rate | $5,162 | 10,000 kWh | −$379 (−6.8%) |
Why SA electricity costs more
The AER's 2026-27 determination explains this year's SA rise. Wholesale costs fell in every region but fell least in SA, because ancillary service costs jumped after high-priced frequency control events in July and August 2025: the spot price for one of these services went above $5,000/MWh in 53 half-hour intervals between 24 July and 17 August 2025.
Network costs make up 39% to 54% of DMO prices across the regions. In SA the AER points to spending on managing safety risks, new transmission costs, including the Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism and the effect of the new transmission loop between SA, Victoria and NSW, and a forecast fall in residential grid consumption as households add rooftop solar and batteries, which it says is pushing residential prices up more than small business prices. Environmental scheme costs fell 35% in SA, the largest drop of any zone, but they are a small part of the bill.
Free power from 12pm to 3pm
Since 1 July 2026, retailers with more than 1,000 customers in the DMO areas must offer the opt-in Solar Sharer plan. In SA the free window is 12pm to 3pm, an hour later than in NSW and Queensland. Usage in the window is free up to 24 kWh a day; outside it you pay the AER's regulated Solar Sharer rates below, which are high in the evening. You need a smart meter, but not solar panels, and homes in embedded networks cannot sign up. It is also the cheapest time to run the washing machine or dishwasher on this plan; on a standard time-of-use plan, look for the off-peak or solar soak periods on your fact sheet.
| Period | Times | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Free usage period | 12pm to 3pm, up to 24 kWh a day | 0 c/kWh |
| Solar soak | 10am to 12pm and 3pm to 4pm, and use above 24 kWh in the free period | 19.66 c/kWh |
| Peak | 6am to 10am and 4pm to midnight | 58.84 c/kWh |
| Off-peak | Midnight to 6am | 35.17 c/kWh |
| Daily supply charge | Every day | 180.05 c a day |
Gas in South Australia
SA households can choose their gas retailer. Australian Gas Networks runs the main gas network, and at 31 March 2026 ten retailers had residential gas customers in SA, according to the AER: Origin Energy, AGL, EnergyAustralia, Lumo Energy, ENGIE, Alinta Energy, Red Energy, GloBird Energy, CovaU and Savant Energy.
There is no DMO for gas, so compare gas plans on Energy Made Easy using a year of bills, including a winter one. A dual fuel deal can carry a discount, so price it against the best electricity and gas plans bought separately. The Energy Bill Concession covers energy costs including bottled LPG.
Concessions in South Australia
The Energy Bill Concession, paid by the SA Government as a credit on your electricity bill at a flat daily rate, is worth up to $291.27 a year for eligible households on low or fixed incomes, and is indexed each financial year. Retailers cannot transfer it when you switch: once your first bill from the new retailer arrives, update your details with ConcessionsSA online or on 1800 307 758. SA also pays a Cost of Living Concession ($270.60 for 2026-27) into your bank account, a general payment rather than a bill credit; apply by 31 December for that financial year.
Solar feed-in tariffs in SA
The regulator, ESCOSA, stopped setting a minimum retailer feed-in tariff from 1 January 2017. Retailers set their own rates and structures, and the SA Government does not oversee them, so feed-in tariffs vary a lot between plans.
Households that joined the original government scheme between July 2008 and September 2011 still receive the 44 c/kWh distributor feed-in payment until 30 June 2028, on top of any retailer feed-in tariff. If that applies to you, check a new plan does not affect your eligibility before switching. Our solar feed-in tariff guide compares every state's rules.
Your rights and where to complain
SA 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 payment method and cannot charge above the standing offer when a plan's benefits end. The Energy and Water Ombudsman SA (EWOSA) handles unresolved complaints for free.
General information only. We don't compare every provider or plan in the market, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through our links.
What to watch for
- SA's flat-rate DMO rose this year while every other zone fell, so a plan that was a good deal last year may no longer be.
- The SA Solar Sharer window is 12pm to 3pm, not 11am to 2pm, and its evening rate is 58.84 c/kWh. Set appliance timers accordingly.
- There is no minimum feed-in tariff in SA. Compare the feed-in rate and the usage rates together.
- Your Energy Bill Concession does not follow you to a new retailer automatically. Tell ConcessionsSA after you switch.
Common questions
Who is the cheapest electricity provider in SA?
No retailer is cheapest for every household. Compare how far below the $2,334 SA DMO each plan is, then check the best few against your own usage on Energy Made Easy.
What is the best site to compare electricity prices in SA?
Energy Made Easy, run by the Australian Energy Regulator. Retailers must publish their generally available plans to it, so it lists every one for your postcode and ranks them on your usage. Commercial sites, including ours, do not cover every retailer.
Why does South Australia have the most expensive electricity?
Among the five DMO zones, SA has the highest regulated usage rate for a flat-rate standing offer: 41.91 c/kWh in 2026-27. The AER says this year's rise came from wholesale costs falling less than elsewhere, after high-priced frequency control events in winter 2025, and from higher network costs, including transmission and safety spending, spread over falling residential grid use.
What is the cheapest time to use a washing machine in SA?
On a Solar Sharer plan, between 12pm and 3pm, when usage is free up to 24 kWh a day. On a standard time-of-use plan, use the off-peak or solar soak periods shown on your fact sheet, and avoid the evening peak.
What is the Default Market Offer in South Australia for 2026-27?
$2,334 a year, including GST, for a residential customer on a flat rate using 4,000 kWh. That is $33 (1.4%) more than in 2025-26. The time-of-use DMO is $2,276.
Who has the best solar feed-in tariff in South Australia?
It changes often, and the highest feed-in rate is not always the best plan because it may come with higher usage rates. SA has no minimum feed-in tariff, so compare the whole plan on Energy Made Easy using your own usage and exports.
How much is the SA energy concession?
The Energy Bill Concession is worth up to $291.27 a year, paid as a daily credit on your electricity bill, for eligible households on low or fixed incomes. It is indexed each financial year.
When is the free power period in South Australia?
Under the Solar Sharer Offer, from 12pm to 3pm every day, up to 24 kWh. It is opt-in and needs a smart meter.
Compare every SA plan
Energy Made Easy lists every generally available electricity and gas plan in South Australia, including feed-in tariffs.
Further reading
Retailers selling in South Australia
The retailers we have profiled that sell to households in South Australia, with their customer numbers from the regulator. We do not rank them; open a profile for ownership, plan types, complaints and regulator actions.
| Retailer | Owner | Electricity customers | Gas customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| AGL | ASX-listed, Australian | 298,319 | 139,616 |
| Origin Energy | ASX-listed, Australian | 250,551 | 186,217 |
| EnergyAustralia | CLP Group (Hong Kong) | 50,326 | 34,530 |
| Alinta Energy | Sembcorp Industries (Singapore) | 35,008 | 26,907 |
| Red Energy | Snowy Hydro (Australian Government) | 11,699 | 6,971 |
| GloBird Energy | Melbourne-based, privately held | 7,021 | 6,143 |
| Momentum Energy | Hydro Tasmania (Tasmanian Government) | 6,141 | None |