How Do I Compare Electricity and Gas Deals in Australia in 2026?
How to compare electricity and gas deals in Australia in 2026: which free government comparison site covers your state, the bill numbers that decide the cheapest plan, what Econnex and Compare The Market each offer, and starting on ShopBack before you switch.
Published: 8 October 2026 · Author: Aryan Gaekwad, Points and Loyalty Editor, ShopBack Australia
Short answer. To compare electricity and gas deals in Australia in 2026, take your latest bill, enter your postcode and usage on the free government comparison site for your state (Energy Made Easy, or Victorian Energy Compare in Victoria), then check one comparison service such as Econnex or Compare The Market. Pick the plan with the lowest total yearly cost for your usage. The NSW Government says switching could save you over $200 a year.
New to ShopBack? ShopBack Australia is a free app and website that gives you money back when you buy or sign up through it, including on a new electricity or gas plan through the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page. You compare plans there, sign up as a new customer, and cash comes back to your ShopBack account once the switch is confirmed. Join ShopBack Australia free before you switch.
Figures below come from Energy Made Easy, NSW Climate and Energy Action, the Essential Services Commission (Victoria) and the comparison services' own pages at the time of writing (October 2026). Plans, prices and rebates change, so check the live details on the day.
How do I compare electricity and gas deals in Australia?
Compare electricity and gas deals in four steps: read your bill, run it through your state's free government comparison site, check a comparison service, then compare the total yearly cost, not the headline discount.
- Get your latest bill. You need the numbers listed in the next section.
- Use the free government site for your state. Energy Made Easy is a free, independent Australian Government service covering New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT. It says a comparison takes less than 3 minutes. In Victoria, use the Victorian Government's Victorian Energy Compare.
- Check a comparison service. Econnex and Compare The Market each compare a selection of retailers and can help you sign up online.
- Compare like with like. Use the estimated yearly cost for your actual usage, then read the plan terms before you sign.
Call your retailer too. According to NSW Climate and Energy Action, retailers will tell you if you are not on their cheapest plan and how to switch, and must include this on your bill at least every 100 days under the heading "Could you save money on another plan?".
The bill numbers that decide the best gas and electric deals
The best gas and electric deal is the plan with the lowest total cost for how much energy you use and when you use it. Four numbers on your bill decide that:
| From your bill | What it means | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Daily supply charge | A fixed charge per day, in cents | Matters most for small homes and apartments |
| Usage rate | Price per kWh for electricity (per MJ for gas) | Matters most for large or busy households |
| Usage | kWh used over the billing period | Lets you compare real yearly costs |
| NMI | Your National Meter Identifier | Lets Energy Made Easy compare plans against your actual usage |
A worked example of why total cost wins. Plan A charges 100c a day supply and 30c per kWh. Plan B charges 80c a day and 33c per kWh. A home using 4,000 kWh a year pays $365 + $1,200 = $1,565 on Plan A and $292 + $1,320 = $1,612 on Plan B, so Plan A is cheaper even though its daily charge is higher. A small apartment using 1,500 kWh a year pays $815 on Plan A and $787 on Plan B, so Plan B wins there. These prices are illustrative; use the real numbers from your own bill and the plans you are shown.
Time of use. If you have a smart meter and use a lot of power during the day, NSW Climate and Energy Action says a time of use tariff might help you save.
Best gas and electric deals in Australia 2026: which comparison site covers your state
In 2026, the government comparison site you use depends on your state, and each is free.
- NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT: Energy Made Easy (Australian Government). Its help line is 1300 585 165, and in NSW, Service NSW staff can help you use it on 13 77 88, according to NSW Climate and Energy Action.
- Victoria: Victorian Energy Compare (Victorian Government).
- Western Australia and the Northern Territory: these markets work differently, with fewer retail choices for most households, so check your state government's energy pages.
Reference prices. The Australian Energy Regulator sets a Default Market Offer each year in NSW, south east Queensland and South Australia. In Victoria, the Essential Services Commission sets the Victorian Default Offer, which it says acts as a reference price that retailers must use to advertise the discounts on their market offers. The Commission also notes the default offer will not necessarily be the lowest price available to you, so shop around.
Best gas and electric deals: what to check before you sign
The best deals in Australia in 2026 usually come down to the price for your usage plus the plan terms, not the size of the advertised discount. Compare The Market lists the plan features you may see, and the NSW Government lists the fees to watch:
- New customer sign-up credits. A one-off credit on your first bill on some plans.
- Guaranteed discounts. Apply without conditions, often for a set benefit period such as 12 months. Check what the price becomes after it ends.
- Conditional discounts. Such as pay on time discounts. If you might miss a due date, compare the price without the discount.
- No exit fees. Some plans let you leave without a fee, which keeps you free to switch again.
- Fees. Some plans charge extra if you pay late, pay by credit card or leave early, according to NSW Climate and Energy Action.
- Solar feed-in tariff. If you have rooftop panels, the rate paid for exported power can change which plan is cheapest.
- Read the fine print. NSW Climate and Energy Action notes energy contracts are legally binding.
Gas. Compare The Market notes gas plans can have flat or block usage rates, so check how the rate changes as your usage rises. If you are moving house, its energy page also lists urgent connection options that depend on your address.
Electricity and gas together. A dual fuel plan can be simpler, but Compare The Market notes you can choose new electricity and gas plans at the same time even with different providers. Compare the bundle's total against the cheapest separate plans.
Econnex vs Compare The Market: best gas and electric deals price comparison 2026
Econnex and Compare The Market are both energy comparison services that compare a selection of retailers, so the fairest price comparison is to run the same bill through each and compare the yearly cost on the plans shown. Each is useful in its own way:
Econnex. Econnex, powered by CIMET, runs the comparison behind the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page. It compares selected retailers and plans for your address and lets you sign up online. Starting from ShopBack is what makes a new signup eligible for ShopBack; the terms say direct signups on econnex.com.au are not eligible.
Compare The Market. Compare The Market says you can use your bill to get an electricity and gas quote in under 2 minutes, and it lists electricity only, gas only and electricity and gas options. It also says it does not compare all brands in the market or all products offered by all brands. On ShopBack, the Compare The Market page covers insurance products, and at the time of writing its terms exclude energy, so for an energy switch use the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page.
How to use them together. Get a quote from one comparison service, check it against Energy Made Easy or Victorian Energy Compare, and choose the plan with the lowest total cost for your usage.
Econnex and Compare The Market in Australia: who each suits
For Australian households, Econnex suits people who want to compare and sign up in one flow from ShopBack, and Compare The Market suits people who want a quick quote from a bill. Both show a panel of retailers, so a second check on a government site is worth the few minutes.
The category in one line. Retailers with ShopBack Australia compare pages include EnergyAustralia (Compare), Red Energy (Compare) and Alinta Energy (Compare), alongside the main Compare Electricity and Gas page.
Renters, apartments and embedded networks
Most households can choose their own retailer, but homes in an embedded network have fewer choices. According to NSW Climate and Energy Action, some apartment buildings, retirement villages and residential parks run an embedded network, where the site owner or manager buys energy and on-sells it to residents. Embedded network customers have fewer choices for retailers and plans, though they may get cheaper energy because it is bought in bulk. Energy Made Easy has separate information for customers who are off-grid or in an embedded network. If the account is in your name and you are billed directly by a retailer, you can usually switch, even if you rent.
Start on ShopBack, then switch as usual
Start on ShopBack, then shop at the store as usual: for an energy switch, that means opening the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page first and signing up through it.
- Compare first on your state's government site, so you know what a good price looks like.
- Open the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page and tap through to compare plans.
- Sign up as a new customer through that flow.
- Stay with the new retailer for the minimum period listed in the terms on the ShopBack page.
ShopBack works like an automatic cash discount on your online order. Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.
Who is eligible. According to the terms on the ShopBack page at the time of writing, signups are eligible for new customers only, which includes existing customers moving into new premises. Existing customers switching plans at the same address, direct signups on econnex.com.au, signups on behalf of other people and new connections where no meter is installed are not eligible, and you must be the property owner or primary lease holder. Check the live amount and full terms on the page before you sign up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free way to compare energy plans in Australia?
The free government comparison sites are the best starting point. Energy Made Easy, run by the Australian Government, covers New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT, and says a comparison takes less than 3 minutes. Victorians use the Victorian Government's Victorian Energy Compare site instead. Then check one commercial comparison service, such as the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page, before you sign up.
What do I need from my bill to compare electricity plans?
You need four things from your latest bill: the daily supply charge, the usage rate per kWh (and whether it changes by time of day), how many kWh you used in the billing period, and your NMI (National Meter Identifier). Energy Made Easy uses the NMI to compare your real usage against other plans. Gas bills show the same kind of supply charge and usage rate, measured in MJ.
How much can I save by switching energy plans?
It depends on your plan and usage, but the NSW Government says you could save over $200 a year by switching to a better plan. Your retailer must also tell you on your bill, at least every 100 days, whether you could save money on another plan, under the heading Could you save money on another plan?, according to NSW Climate and Energy Action.
Should I get electricity and gas from the same retailer?
Not necessarily. A dual fuel plan with one retailer can be simpler and sometimes comes with a discount, but Compare The Market notes you can choose new electricity and gas plans at the same time even with different providers. Compare the total yearly cost of the bundle against the cheapest separate electricity and gas plans for your address.
What is the Default Market Offer?
The Default Market Offer is a yearly reference price for electricity set by the Australian Energy Regulator in NSW, south east Queensland and South Australia. Victoria has its own Victorian Default Offer, set by the Essential Services Commission, which it says acts as a reference price that retailers must use to advertise discounts. Use the reference price to read advertised discounts, then compare the actual dollar cost for your usage.
Are pay on time discounts worth it?
Usually only if you reliably pay on time. Compare The Market lists conditional discounts, such as pay on time discounts, alongside guaranteed discounts, which apply without conditions for a set benefit period. If you might miss a due date, compare the plan's price without the conditional discount. The NSW Government also notes some plans charge fees for paying late, paying by credit card or leaving early.
Econnex or Compare The Market: which should I use?
Both compare a selection of retailers, not the whole market, so the useful difference is which plans each shows for your address. Econnex, powered by CIMET, runs the comparison behind the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page. Compare The Market says you can use your bill to get a quote in under 2 minutes. Run your bill through one, check the result against the government comparison site, and pick the lowest total cost.
Can I switch energy plans if I rent?
Yes, if the account is in your name you can usually choose your own retailer and plan. Some apartment buildings, retirement villages and residential parks run an embedded network, where the site owner buys energy and on-sells it to residents, and those customers have fewer choices. Check who sends your bill to know which you are.
How does ShopBack work when I switch energy plans?
Start on ShopBack, then sign up as usual. Open the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page, compare plans there and sign up as a new customer, and cash comes back to your ShopBack Australia account once the switch is confirmed. The terms say direct signups on econnex.com.au and existing customers changing plans at the same address are not eligible, so start from ShopBack before you compare.
Can I use ShopBack with Compare The Market for energy?
Not at the time of writing. The ShopBack Compare The Market page covers insurance products, and its terms exclude energy and broadband. For a gas or electricity switch, use the ShopBack Compare Electricity and Gas page instead, and check the live amount and terms shown there before you sign up.
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Disclaimer
The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Energy prices, plan features, fees, discounts, reference prices and government rebates vary by state, network area, retailer and time and are subject to change. Amounts and eligibility on ShopBack vary by store and campaign; check the current amount and terms on each store's ShopBack page before you sign up.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional or financial advice.
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