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Electricity and overall prices in Australia: what the latest 12-month figures show

In September 2026, electricity prices were 12.8% higher than a year earlier, while the consumer price index as a whole was 4.3% higher. These are separate statistics, so each is best read on its own track.

Published 2 min read

  • 2026-0622.4%
  • 2026-076.1%
  • 2026-0813.2%
  • 2026-0912.8%
Australia electricity price inflation (12-month change) · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Australia Electricity price inflation →

Power bills are still well above last year

If you pay a power bill, electricity still costs much more than it did a year ago. In September 2026, electricity prices were 12.8% higher than in September 2025.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

Overall consumer prices were also higher than a year earlier. In September 2026, consumer price inflation was 4.3% over 12 months.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

These two figures come from different statistics. One tracks electricity alone, and the other tracks the whole basket of consumer goods and services. This report describes each on its own terms.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

What the official figures show

All figures here are 12-month changes. Each one compares prices in a given month with prices in the same month a year earlier. None of them shows the change from the previous month.

Sources for this paragraph (8)

Electricity price inflation was 22.4% in June 2026, 6.1% in July, 13.2% in August and 12.8% in September.

Sources for this paragraph (4)

Overall consumer price inflation was 3.8% in June 2026, 3.5% in July, 4% in August and 4.3% in September.

Sources for this paragraph (4)

How each series moved over four months

The electricity series moved sharply. It fell from 22.4% in June to 6.1% in July. It then rose to 13.2% in August. It eased slightly to 12.8% in September.

Sources for this paragraph (4)

A lower 12-month rate does not mean power became cheaper. At 12.8% in September, electricity prices were still higher than a year before. The rate shows how fast prices have grown, not whether they fell.

Sources for this paragraph (1)

The overall inflation rate followed a different path. It dipped from 3.8% in June to 3.5% in July. It then rose in each of the next two months, to 4% in August and 4.3% in September.

Sources for this paragraph (4)

What this means for households in Australia

For a household, the September figures show that power, food and rent all cost more than a year earlier. Electricity prices were up 12.8%. Food prices were up 3.2%. Rents measured in the consumer price index were up 3.6%.

Sources for this paragraph (3)

Each of those figures is its own separate measure. They show the direction of each cost, but they cannot show how much any one household spends on power, food or rent.

Sources for this paragraph (3)

Across the whole basket of consumer goods and services, prices in September 2026 were 4.3% higher than a year earlier. The overall rate has risen in each month since July.

Sources for this paragraph (3)

What the data does and does not tell us

The facts here do not explain why the electricity rate swung so much between June and September. Causes such as tariff changes or government rebates are not covered by these figures, so this report does not guess at them.

Sources for this paragraph (4)

The figures do not show dollar amounts on power bills. They also do not show month-on-month changes, so the size of any single monthly jump is unknown.

Sources for this paragraph (2)

The electricity, food, rent and overall inflation series are different statistics. Setting their percentages side by side does not show which cost weighs most on a given household.

Sources for this paragraph (4)

Scenarios to watch

  • Scenario, not a forecast If the electricity rate keeps easing from its September level, the next readings would sit below 12.8%. Prices would still be rising, just more slowly.
  • Scenario, not a forecast If overall consumer price inflation continues the rise seen since July, the 12-month rate would climb above 4.3% in coming months.
  • Scenario, not a forecast If the overall rate turns down again, as it did between June and July, the September reading could prove to be a short-lived high.

What to check next

  • The next monthly electricity price inflation reading, and whether it stays below or above 12.8%
  • Whether overall consumer price inflation rises above or falls below 4.3% in the next release
  • Food price inflation and CPI rent figures in the next release
  • Official explanations from the statistics agency on what drove the electricity swings between June and September 2026

Verified data used in this report

IndicatorValuePeriodSourcesAccessed
F1Australia electricity price inflation (12-month change)22.4%2026-06Australian Bureau of Statistics
F2Australia electricity price inflation (12-month change)6.1%2026-07Australian Bureau of Statistics
F3Australia electricity price inflation (12-month change)13.2%2026-08Australian Bureau of Statistics
F4Australia electricity price inflation (12-month change)12.8%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
F5Australia consumer price inflation (12-month change)3.8%2026-06Australian Bureau of Statistics
F6Australia consumer price inflation (12-month change)3.5%2026-07Australian Bureau of Statistics
F7Australia consumer price inflation (12-month change)4%2026-08Australian Bureau of Statistics
F8Australia consumer price inflation (12-month change)4.3%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C3Australia food price inflation (12-month change)3.2%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C4Australia rent prices (CPI, 12-month change)3.6%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C5Australia unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted)4.72%2026-09Australian Bureau of Statistics
C6Australia GDP growth (annual %)1.35%2025World Bank
C7Australia Unemployment, total (% of labour force, ILO modelled estimate)4.09%2025World Bank
C8Australia Fertility rate, total (births per woman)1.482024World Bank
C9Australia Population aged 65 and above (% of total population)18.09%2025World Bank
C10Australia Population growth (annual %)1.53%2025World Bank

Sources

  • Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0) — license
  • Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) — license

How this report was checked

  • Data: the newest reference period cited is 2026-09.
  • Figures were collected from the source on
  • Written by an AI model (claude-opus-5-5) using only the official figures listed in this report.
  • Automatic checks passed: every number matches a cited figure, every paragraph names its evidence, and there is no investment advice or copied source text.
  • A separate quality-check model raised concerns, and the report was rewritten once to address them.
  • No person reviewed this report before publication. Automatic checks confirm the numbers, not every interpretation.
Update history
  • 2026-10-29 00:00 UTC — created
  • 2026-10-29 00:00 UTC — approved+published

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