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Victoria has a competitive electricity market with its own price safety net, the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), set each year by the Essential Services Commission. 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, and is on average $84 (about 5%) lower than in 2025–26. Retailers must show how their plans compare with the VDO when they advertise, so that percentage is the quickest way to rank offers.
The state government runs Victorian Energy Compare, a free comparator that lists every generally available offer; its operators say people who switched through it in 2025 saved an average of $170. This page covers the VDO for each zone, how Victoria's rules differ from the rest of the country, the concessions available and what happened to the minimum feed-in tariff.
By Better Rate Mate Editorial Team · Last reviewed
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.
| 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 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 enter your postcode and usage, or details from a recent bill, and it ranks plans by estimated annual cost.
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, opened on 25 August 2025 and closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. No new round has been announced as at September 2026.
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.
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 a year) must apply separately for the Excess Electricity 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.
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 owner-occupiers; its battery loans have closed.
Start with your retailer. If that does not resolve it, the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) handles electricity and gas complaints for free.
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 plans by estimated annual cost.
No. The fifth round, a $100 payment for eligible concession card households, closed to new applications on 31 March 2026. All earlier rounds are also closed, and no new round had been announced as at September 2026.
There is no single cheapest retailer; it depends on your distribution zone, your tariff and your usage. Rank plans by how far below the VDO for your zone they are, then run your own usage through Victorian Energy Compare.
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.
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.
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.
Victorian Energy Compare (compare.energy.vic.gov.au) is the Victorian Government's free comparator and lists every generally available offer. Energy Made Easy does not cover Victoria.
Retailers we have profiled that sell to households in Victoria. This is not the full list of retailers licensed there; the government comparator shows every generally available offer.
