The Australian Energy Regulator's Default Market Offer 8 and Victoria's Default Offer took effect on 1 July 2026, resetting the reference prices that anchor every electricity plan in the market. If you have not compared plans since before July, the market underneath your plan has moved.
The new reference prices
For a typical household on a flat rate, the annual reference prices are now: NSW Ausgrid $1,744 (down 3.4%), NSW Endeavour $1,929 (down 4.7%), NSW Essential $2,358 (down 5.0%), and south-east Queensland (Energex) $1,988 (down 7.2%). South Australia went the other way: $2,398 flat rate (up 1.4%), though the SA time-of-use reference fell 1.1% to $2,317. Victoria's VDO now ranges from $1,511 (CitiPower) to $1,878 (AusNet) depending on your network.
Our take
The reference price is a cap, not a deal. Retailers advertise discounts as percentages off these numbers, which is exactly why a "20% off" plan in a high-reference network can still cost more than a fair flat rate. The weeks after a reset are when retailers compete hardest for switchers, so July to September is historically the best window of the year to compare.
What to do
Check your current rate against the new reference price for your network, then compare. Our July 2026 price reset guide has the full state-by-state breakdown, and the bill checker will tell you in about a minute whether your plan is still competitive.
Sources: AER Default Market Offer 2026-27 determination; Essential Services Commission Victorian Default Offer 2026-27.
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