About Cairns
Cairns is a city of approximately 155,000 people in Far North Queensland, serving as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. It is the largest city in the Ergon Energy network area, sitting roughly 1,700 kilometres north of Brisbane.
Read more about Cairns on Wikipedia.
Electricity in Cairns
Cairns is on the Ergon Energy network, which means it sits outside the competitive retail market that applies in South East Queensland. Ergon Energy is the sole retailer for residential customers. Prices are regulated by the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) and subsidised by the Queensland Government through the Uniform Tariff Policy to keep them broadly comparable to SEQ rates.
From 1 July 2026, Ergon residential tariffs dropped by up to 6.9%, one of the largest reductions in a decade. The QCA cited higher availability of Queensland coal generators, lower gas prices, and growing investment in batteries and renewables as the key drivers.
While you cannot switch retailers in Cairns, you can switch between Ergon tariff types, which can make a significant difference to your bill:
| Tariff | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Tariff 11 | Flat rate | Simple billing, no smart meter needed |
| Tariff 12A | Time of use | Households that can shift usage to off-peak |
| Tariff 31 | Night rate (economy) | Electric hot water on a separate circuit |
| Tariff 33 | Controlled load | Pool pumps and cycling loads |
Cairns has very high air conditioning usage due to the tropical climate: cooling can account for 40% to 50% of a household electricity bill in the wet season. This makes tariff optimisation particularly valuable. If your air conditioner runs primarily in the afternoon and evening, a time-of-use tariff may not help (those are peak hours). But if you can pre-cool your home during the midday off-peak window and maintain temperature in the afternoon, TOU can save meaningful money.
Our take on electricity in Cairns
Cairns residents cannot shop around for retailers, but tariff choice is the next best thing. Many households are on the default Tariff 11 flat rate without realising that Tariff 12A (time-of-use) or adding Tariff 31 for hot water could save them $200 to $400 per year. Call Ergon on 13 10 46 and ask them to check which tariff combination suits your usage patterns.
Solar is highly effective in Cairns despite the wet season cloud cover, because the dry season (May to November) delivers exceptionally high output. A 6.6kW system in Cairns generates roughly 25 to 30 kWh per day on average across the year. Ergon pays a solar feed-in tariff of 8.66 cents per kWh, which is government-regulated and applies uniformly across regional Queensland.
The 2026-27 price drop of up to 6.9% is welcome, but do not let it make you complacent. Check your tariff: the savings from optimising your tariff type are typically larger than the regulated price reduction.
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Cairns has a mix of NBN technologies. The central suburbs and newer developments are predominantly on FTTP (fibre to the premises) or HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial), which support speeds up to NBN 1000. Older suburbs may be on FTTN (fibre to the node), capped at NBN 100. Outer areas including the northern beaches and hinterland may be on fixed wireless or satellite.
Multiple ISPs serve Cairns including Aussie Broadband, Telstra, TPG, Superloop, Tangerine, and others. Competition is healthy, and the same range of plans available in Brisbane is generally available in Cairns for addresses on the NBN fixed-line network.
For properties in the Cairns hinterland or on the Atherton Tablelands that are on NBN fixed wireless, speeds are limited to 75 Mbps download. Starlink is a viable alternative for these locations, offering faster speeds though at a higher monthly cost.
Our take on internet in Cairns
If you are in central Cairns on FTTP or HFC, you have access to the full range of NBN speed tiers and competing ISPs. The best value is typically at the NBN 50 or NBN 100 tier from a provider like Aussie Broadband or Superloop. Telstra is more expensive but offers Telstra Air hotspot access and mobile bundling.
If you are in the hinterland on fixed wireless, check whether the NBN Co Fibre Connect programme has reached your area. Some FTTN addresses in Cairns have been upgraded to FTTP at no cost under this programme, which dramatically improves available speeds.