I recently checked the actual cost per kWh of electricity in both the UK and Australia, and found that both countries were comparable, when comparing QLD to Southern Electric,
The Cost per unit was 11.78p in UK and 21.351 cents in Australia. At an Exchange rate of 1.8, the cost would be equal, and with the rate having moved between 2.0 and 1.6 recently, that is near enough an average.
However, there are other factors in the costs, the standing charge for example, and different rates for off peak, so the basic rate isn’t a perfect indicator.
The easy way to check is by comparing actual bills. Dividing the actual cost by the number of units used. That will give us the average unit cost.
My last bill was $579.45 and I used 2,935 kWh so the cost per unit is 19.74 cents. I am in SE Queensland, and we are all electric.
My daily electric cost in the 12 months ended with my last bill, up to 25 Feb 2011, was $5.27.
For comparison purposes, where someone also uses Gas, they should add the electric and gas bills together, to end up with a similar total of power, heating and cooling costs.
What were your last Electric usage figures and costs, so we can really compare the two countries. Please use the comment box below, giving your total units used, the total bill cost, number of days since last reading and indicate your State or County. I will then add them to this chart:
| Location | Total Kwh | Cost per Unit | Cost per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE Queensland | 2,957 | $0.1731 | $6.44 |
| Far North Queensland | 4,154 | $0.2076 | $8.99 |
| Western Australia (64 days) | 1,453 | $0.2251 | $5.11 |
| With Solar Panels | Net Kwh used | Cost per Unit | Cost per day |
| SW Western Australia | 1,442 | $0.19137 | $4.38 |
AdID=11244
Cost of Electricity (and Gas) in Europe:
