Yes, you can choose your electricity retailer in Melbourne.
Victorian households in Melbourne can compare and switch retailers. Melbourne is served by five electricity networks, and which one applies depends on your address. Your bill names it.
Melbourne at a glance
Our data covers 380 suburbs and localities in and around Melbourne, with about 4.5 million residents across 31 council areas. We group them into 9 regions below, each with its largest suburbs and its own NBN picture.
South East
826k people · 56 suburbsCardinia, Casey, Greater Dandenong, Kingston and Monash
NBN: 41% fibre to the premises, 39% cable
West
746k people · 57 suburbsBrimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton and Wyndham
NBN: 52% fibre to the premises, 23% cable
Inner Melbourne
553k people · 48 suburbsDarebin, Melbourne, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Port Phillip and 2 more
NBN: 30% fibre to the premises, 35% cable
Outer East
474k people · 53 suburbsKnox, Manningham, Maroondah, Whitehorse and Yarra Ranges
NBN: 26% fibre to the premises, 47% cable
Inner South and Bayside
448k people · 42 suburbsBayside, Glen Eira, Kingston, Monash and Stonnington
NBN: 14% fibre to the premises, 73% cable
North East
444k people · 36 suburbsBanyule, Darebin, Nillumbik and Whittlesea
NBN: 40% fibre to the premises, 35% cable
Inner East
359k people · 26 suburbsBoroondara, Manningham and Whitehorse
NBN: 15% fibre to the premises, 70% cable
North West
345k people · 31 suburbsBrimbank, Hume, Moonee Valley and Moreland
NBN: 57% fibre to the premises, 13% cable
Mornington Peninsula
297k people · 31 suburbsFrankston and Mornington Peninsula
NBN: 54% fibre to the premises, 0% cable
Regions, population and council areas from the national towns dataset. NBN mix from the NBN upgrade map dataset, snapshot 11 August 2026.
Detailed suburb guides
Who supplies electricity in Melbourne?
Your network is set by your address, not your retailer, and the poles and wires are the same whichever retailer bills you. Melbourne sits across five networks. The network areas below are the general descriptions we use across the site; your electricity bill names the network at your address.
| Network | Area | Reference price |
|---|---|---|
| CitiPower | Melbourne CBD, inner suburbs | $1,481 at 4,000 kWh (37.0 c/kWh all-in) |
| United Energy | South-eastern Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula | $1,529 at 4,000 kWh (38.2 c/kWh all-in) |
| Jemena | Northern and western Melbourne | $1,563 at 4,000 kWh (39.1 c/kWh all-in) |
| Powercor | Western Victoria, outer western Melbourne | $1,633 at 4,000 kWh (40.8 c/kWh all-in) |
| AusNet Services | Eastern Victoria, outer eastern Melbourne | $1,748 at 4,000 kWh (43.7 c/kWh all-in) |
Source: Essential Services Commission, Victorian Default Offer 2026-27 final decision (20 May 2026). The ESC publishes per-network rates and a statewide average of $1,591; the network bills here are calculated by us from those rates.
How much does electricity cost in Melbourne?
On the Victorian Default Offer, the same 4,000 kWh a year costs about $1,481 on the cheapest network and about $1,748 on the dearest, a gap of $267 a year before any discount. For comparison, a 15% discount on the cheapest network's reference price is worth about $222.
Victoria has the Midday Power Saver, with free electricity from 11am to 2pm for households that opt in through a participating retailer. Check the tariff against your own usage before opting in; see our free power guide.
How good is the internet in Melbourne? What the NBN looks like
Across Melbourne, the NBN dataset classifies 2,261,222 premises. Which technology you are on matters more than which provider you pick, because the technology limits your speed tiers.
- Fibre to the premises: 36.4%
- Cable (HFC): 37.7%
- Fibre to the curb: 13.5%
- Fibre to the building: 4.6%
- Fibre to the node: 7.4%
36% of classified premises are on fibre to the premises and 7% on fibre to the node. The split varies by region: North West has the most fibre to the premises (57%), and Mornington Peninsula has the most fibre to the node (29%), the technology most likely to limit speeds. Check your own address before choosing a speed tier.
Source: NBN upgrade map dataset, suburb breakdown, snapshot 11 August 2026, matched by suburb name. Percentages are of classified premises; premises with no technology recorded are excluded. “Other” is wireless and satellite.
Moving to Melbourne? Getting power and internet connected
Tell your chosen retailer your move-in date a few business days ahead and they arrange the connection with the network. Ask which NBN technology your address has before you pick an internet plan: fibre to the node or fibre to the curb homes can need an installer visit, so book earlier. New builds should confirm with the builder that the meter and NBN connection are ready.
Our take on Melbourne
The gap between the cheapest and dearest Melbourne network is about $267 a year on the default offer, which is more than a 15% discount on the cheapest network's reference price ($222). Moving across town can change your starting price more than a headline discount will. Compare the final yearly cost for your own network, not the percentage.
How we put this page together
Population, council areas and suburb groupings come from the national towns dataset. Reference prices come from the Essential Services Commission Victorian Default Offer 2026-27. NBN technology comes from the NBN upgrade map dataset, snapshot 11 August 2026. Network areas follow the distributors; your bill confirms your network. Reviewed by the MAC team on 2 November 2026. See also our electricity guide for Victoria.
