Compare electricity and gas plans in Victoria
To find the cheapest energy plan in Victoria, rank offers by how far below your zone's Victorian Default Offer (VDO) they are, then run your own usage through Victorian Energy Compare, the government's free comparator for electricity and gas. For 2026-27 the residential flat-tariff VDO ranges from $1,481 a year in the CitiPower zone to $1,748 in AusNet Services, for 4,000 kWh of usage, about 5% lower on average than in 2025-26.
No retailer is cheapest for every household, because the answer depends on your zone, your tariff and how much electricity and gas you use. This page covers the VDO for each zone, the new Midday Power Saver with free power from 11am to 2pm, how gas plans differ, Victoria's own consumer rules, 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 energy plan in Victoria
- 1Find your distribution zoneYour electricity distributor's name is on your bill. It decides which VDO applies to you, from $1,481 a year in CitiPower to $1,748 in AusNet Services.
- 2Rank offers by how far below the VDO they areEvery advertised Victorian electricity plan must say how it compares with the VDO for your zone. The further below, the cheaper it is for a household using 4,000 kWh a year. The checker below works the percentage out for any single-rate plan.
- 3Run your own usage through Victorian Energy CompareThe government comparator lists every generally available electricity and gas offer for your postcode and ranks them on your usage, so it shows which retailer is cheapest for you right now. Upload your smart meter data from your distributor for the closest estimate.
- 4Read the Energy Fact SheetCheck the rates, the daily supply charge, any conditional discount, when a benefit period ends and whether the plan carries an exit fee.
- 5Switch, and keep the cooling-off period in mindThe new retailer arranges the transfer and your supply is not interrupted. You have 10 business days to withdraw from a new market contract.
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 Victorian Default Offer for CitiPower is $1,481 a year at 4,000 kWh, made up of a supply charge of 121.14 c a day and a usage rate of 25.96 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. Figures include GST. Sources: Essential Services Commission, Victorian Default Offer price determination 2026-27.
The Victorian Default Offer for 2026-27, by zone
Victoria has five electricity distributors, each with its own VDO because network costs differ. Your distributor is shown on your bill and depends only on your address. The VDO caps what retailers can charge customers on a standing offer, and about 17% of Victorian households were on the default offer when the ESC made its 2026-27 decision.
Comparing for family in another state? Our energy hub explains how to compare electricity plans across Australia, including the Default Market Offer used in NSW, south-east Queensland and SA.
| Distributor | Area | 2026-27 | 2025-26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CitiPower | Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs | $1,481 | $1,546 | −$65 |
| United Energy | South-eastern suburbs, Mornington Peninsula | $1,529 | $1,579 | −$50 |
| Jemena | Northern and north-western suburbs | $1,563 | $1,638 | −$75 |
| Powercor | Western suburbs and western Victoria | $1,633 | $1,703 | −$70 |
| AusNet Services | Outer northern and eastern suburbs, eastern Victoria | $1,748 | $1,908 | −$160 |
Victorian electricity rates per kWh, 2026-27
On the Victorian Default Offer's flat tariff in 2026-27, electricity costs between 25.96 c/kWh (CitiPower) and 31.98 c/kWh (AusNet Services), plus a daily supply charge of 119.12 c to 138.05 c, depending on your distribution zone. These are the most a retailer can charge a household on a standing offer, set by the Essential Services Commission.
| Distributor | Usage rate | Daily supply charge | Yearly price at standard usage | Standard usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CitiPower | 25.96 c/kWh | 121.14 c | $1,481 | 4,000 kWh |
| United Energy | 27.35 c/kWh | 119.12 c | $1,529 | 4,000 kWh |
| Jemena | 27.47 c/kWh | 127.13 c | $1,563 | 4,000 kWh |
| Powercor | 28.22 c/kWh | 138.05 c | $1,633 | 4,000 kWh |
| AusNet Services | 31.98 c/kWh | 128.24 c | $1,748 | 4,000 kWh |
What market offers charge
Most market offers are below the VDO. On 10 October 2026, the lowest-priced single-rate plans from AGL, Origin Energy, EnergyAustralia and Alinta Energy in Victoria were between 7% and 20% below the VDO at 4,000 kWh, depending on the retailer and zone. Each retailer's profile lists its plan, rates and yearly cost by zone, for example AGL's Victorian rates, and AGL vs Origin vs EnergyAustralia compares the three side by side.
How Victorian Energy Compare works
Victorian Energy Compare is run by the Victorian Government. Retailers must upload their generally available plans to it, and it produces a standard Energy Fact Sheet for each, so it covers the market more completely than any commercial site. You choose electricity or gas, enter your postcode and usage or details from a recent bill, and it ranks offers by estimated annual cost. The Victorian Government says people who used Victorian Energy Compare across 2025 saved $170 on average by switching to a better offer.
Many people know the site because the Power Saving Bonus was paid through it. The most recent round, a $100 payment for concession card households, closed to new applications on 31 March 2026.
The Midday Power Saver: free power from 11am to 2pm
Since 1 October 2026, Victorian households can sign up to the Midday Power Saver, a regulated plan with no charge for electricity used between 11am and 2pm every day, up to 24 kWh. Most retailers have to offer it. You need a smart meter, and households in embedded networks without one cannot get it.
The rates outside the free window are regulated, but they and the daily supply charge may be higher than on other plans. It suits households that can run washing, dishwashing, hot water, a pool pump or EV charging in the middle of the day. The Victorian Government estimates that households shifting 5% to 30% of their electricity use into the window could save between $149 and $428. Your retailer must explain the likely cost impact before you sign up, and you can leave the plan without an exit fee.
Gas in Victoria
Victorian households can choose their gas retailer too, and Victorian Energy Compare lists gas offers alongside electricity. Three distributors run the gas pipes, each in its own part of the state: Australian Gas Networks, Multinet and AusNet Services. Like your electricity distributor, yours stays the same whichever retailer you choose.
There is no default offer for gas, so gas plans carry no reference price percentage. Compare them on your own yearly usage in megajoules (MJ), ideally including a winter bill, because heating drives most gas use. Your gas bill must carry a best offer message at least every four months. A dual fuel deal from one retailer can include a discount, so price it against the best electricity plan and the best gas plan bought separately.
The Winter Gas Concession takes 17.5% off gas usage and supply charges from 1 May to 31 October for Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card and Veterans' Affairs Gold Card holders, after the first $62.40 of the winter period's bills. Households with winter gas bills above $2,598.58 for 1 May to 31 October 2026 must apply for the Excess Gas Concession.
Victoria's own consumer rules
Victoria is not under the National Energy Retail Law. Retailers follow the Energy Retail Code of Practice, enforced by the ESC, and several of its protections go further than the national rules.
- Best offer message: your bill must tell you whether you are on your retailer's best offer, at least every three months for electricity and every four months for gas. Since 1 October 2026 the message only prompts you to switch when you would save more than $50 a year.
- Long-standing customers: since 1 July 2026, a retailer must check at least once a year that anyone on a plan four years old or more is paying a reasonable price, and lower the price or move them to a cheaper plan if not.
- Pay-on-time discounts: must reflect the retailer's reasonable costs. Since 1 July 2026 this applies to all contracts, including those signed before July 2020; where a discount is unreasonable the retailer must apply it unconditionally.
- Payment methods: since 1 October 2026 a retailer cannot make a particular payment method, such as direct debit, a condition of a plan.
- Payment difficulty: since 1 October 2026 a retailer must move you to its cheapest plan if you receive payment difficulty support, or have been in debt for more than three months and owe more than $1,000, unless you choose to stay. The minimum debt you can be disconnected for rose from $300 to $1,000 on the same date.
- Exit fees: a retailer can charge one only on a fixed-term contract whose prices, discounts and terms are fixed for the whole term. The code caps it at the retailer's unrecovered cost of signing you up plus $20, and a standing offer never has one.
Victorian energy concessions
The Annual Electricity Concession takes 17.5% off electricity usage and supply charges for Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card and Veterans' Affairs Gold Card holders. It is calculated after retailer discounts and solar credits, does not apply to the first $171.60 of the annual bill, and households with very large bills (over $4,038.82 in the year starting 1 December 2025) must apply for the Excess Energy Concession. Give your card details to your retailer to have it applied, and again whenever you switch. The Energy Assistance Program (1800 161 215) offers free phone help if you are struggling to pay.
Victoria no longer has a minimum feed-in tariff
Until June 2025 the ESC set a minimum solar feed-in tariff each year. An amendment to the Electricity Industry Act ended that: there has been no minimum since 1 July 2025, and retailers set their own rates, which cannot be below zero. Feed-in tariffs now vary widely between plans, so solar households should compare the feed-in rate and the usage rates together. Solar Victoria still offers a solar panel rebate of up to $1,400 for eligible households, including rental properties; it is no longer taking applications for battery loans.
Where to complain in Victoria
Start with your retailer. If that does not resolve it, the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) handles electricity and gas 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
- Compare against the VDO for your own zone. AusNet's VDO is $267 higher than CitiPower's, so the same percentage means different dollars.
- The Midday Power Saver only pays if you can move real use into 11am to 2pm. Check its other rates and supply charge first.
- If you have been with the same retailer on the same plan for years, check your bill's best offer message and ask to be moved.
- Compare gas on a full year's usage including winter, and tell your new retailer about your concession card when you switch.
Common questions
Who is the cheapest energy supplier in Victoria right now?
No retailer is cheapest for everyone, and the order changes whenever retailers reprice. Victorian Energy Compare ranks every generally available electricity and gas offer for your postcode by its estimated cost on your usage, which is the most reliable way to find the cheapest for you. Start with the plans furthest below your zone's VDO.
What is Victorian Energy Compare?
A free Victorian Government website that lists every generally available electricity and gas offer in Victoria. You enter your postcode and usage, or upload details from your bill, and it ranks offers by estimated annual cost.
What is the Midday Power Saver?
A regulated Victorian plan, available since 1 October 2026 through most retailers, with no charge for electricity used between 11am and 2pm every day, up to 24 kWh. You need a smart meter. Rates outside the window and the supply charge may be higher than on other plans, so it only saves money if you can shift usage into the middle of the day.
Is the $100 Power Saving Bonus still available?
No. The fifth round, a $100 payment for eligible concession card households, closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. Earlier rounds are also closed.
What is the Victorian Default Offer for 2026-27?
For a residential customer on a flat tariff using 4,000 kWh a year it ranges from $1,481 (CitiPower) to $1,748 (AusNet Services), including GST. On average it is $84, or about 5%, lower than in 2025-26.
Is there a default offer for gas in Victoria?
No. The VDO covers electricity only. Retailers set their own gas prices, so compare gas offers on your own yearly usage, including a winter bill, on Victorian Energy Compare.
What is the minimum solar feed-in tariff in Victoria?
There is none. The ESC stopped setting a minimum from 1 July 2025 after the law changed. Retailers set their own feed-in tariffs, which cannot be below zero.
How much is the Victorian electricity concession?
17.5% of your electricity usage and supply charges, applied after discounts and solar credits, excluding the first $171.60 of the annual bill. It is available to Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card and Veterans' Affairs Gold Card holders. The Winter Gas Concession takes 17.5% off gas bills from 1 May to 31 October.
Who is cheaper, AGL or EnergyAustralia?
Neither is cheaper everywhere: it depends on your zone, your usage and the plans on sale when you compare. On 10 October 2026, at 4,000 kWh a year, AGL's lowest-priced single-rate plan in Victoria was 10% to 14% below the VDO and EnergyAustralia's 10% below, so AGL's was cheaper in the CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy zones and the two cost the same in Jemena and AusNet. Run your own usage through Victorian Energy Compare before you choose, and see AGL vs Origin vs EnergyAustralia for every zone.
Which energy supplier has the best reviews?
We don't rate retailers or publish reviews. The most objective measure is the regulators' complaints data: the AER publishes the complaints each retailer receives in NSW, Queensland, SA, Tasmania and the ACT, and our retailer profiles, such as AGL and Origin Energy, show each one's record beside the all-retailer figure. Victoria is not in that data set.
How much do people save with Victorian Energy Compare?
The Victorian Government says people who used Victorian Energy Compare across 2025 saved $170 on average by switching to a better offer. What you save depends on the plan you are on now and how much energy you use.
Compare every Victorian plan
Victorian Energy Compare (compare.energy.vic.gov.au) is the Victorian Government's free comparator and lists every generally available electricity and gas offer. Energy Made Easy does not cover Victoria.
Further reading
Retailers selling in Victoria
The retailers we have profiled that sell to households in Victoria, 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 | Offers on Victorian Energy Compare |
|---|---|---|
| AGL | ASX-listed, Australian | Electricity and gas |
| Origin Energy | ASX-listed, Australian | Electricity and gas |
| EnergyAustralia | CLP Group (Hong Kong) | Electricity and gas |
| Red Energy | Snowy Hydro (Australian Government) | Electricity and gas |
| Alinta Energy | Sembcorp Industries (Singapore) | Electricity and gas |
| GloBird Energy | Melbourne-based, privately held | Electricity and gas |
| Momentum Energy | Hydro Tasmania (Tasmanian Government) | Electricity and gas |