How to Compare Electricity Plans Using Your Bill
Most electricity comparison tools ask you to estimate your usage. That's a problem.
If you don't know exactly how much electricity you use — broken down by peak, off-peak, and shoulder periods — any comparison based on estimates can be significantly inaccurate. Using your actual bill data gives a much clearer picture.
Why Estimates Often Lead You Astray
When you're asked to estimate your electricity usage, most people guess — and guesses are often wrong. Common mistakes include:
- •underestimating usage because bills feel abstract
- •selecting the wrong household size category
- •not accounting for appliances like pool pumps, hot water systems, or EV chargers
- •not knowing whether they're on a flat or time-of-use tariff
Even a small difference in estimated usage can make one plan look cheaper when the opposite is true.
What Your Bill Actually Tells You
Your electricity bill contains real data about how you actually use power. Unlike estimates, this data reflects your actual household behaviour, seasonal patterns, and appliance usage.
A typical Australian electricity bill includes:
- •total kilowatt hours consumed for the billing period
- •peak, shoulder, and off-peak usage (if on a time-of-use tariff)
- •the rate per kWh you're currently paying
- •your daily supply charge
- •solar export volume and feed-in credit (if applicable)
- •the exact number of days in your billing period
Comparing plans using this data — rather than rough averages — gives a result that's relevant to your actual situation.
What to Look for When Comparing Plans
A meaningful electricity plan comparison should account for all the components that make up your bill:
- •usage rate (flat, peak/off-peak, or block)
- •daily supply charge
- •solar feed-in tariff rate (if you have solar)
- •contract length and any exit fees
- •eligibility conditions such as direct debit or online billing requirements
A plan with a lower usage rate but a significantly higher supply charge may not actually be cheaper — especially for lower-usage households.
Flat Rate vs Time-of-Use Plans
Whether you're comparing flat-rate plans against other flat-rate plans, or evaluating whether a time-of-use plan might suit you, the comparison method matters.
For time-of-use comparisons, the outcome depends heavily on when you use electricity:
- •households that use most of their power during peak hours may pay more on a TOU plan
- •households that can shift usage to off-peak periods — such as EV owners charging overnight — may pay less
Time-of-use plans also require a compatible smart meter. Bill Scout flags this during the comparison if relevant.
How Bill Scout Does the Comparison
Bill Scout extracts your actual usage data from your uploaded bill and applies it against the published rates of available electricity plans in your state.
For each plan, it calculates what your bill would have been over the same period, using the same usage data — giving you a like-for-like comparison. It also flags:
- •plans where usage limits might be an issue based on your consumption
- •plans with exit fees or long contract terms
- •time-of-use plans that require a smart meter
- •plans with demand charges that could affect your estimate
Results are based on published rates and are informational only. Always verify pricing directly with the provider before switching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know my usage to compare plans?
Not separately — Bill Scout reads your usage directly from your uploaded bill. You don't need to find or calculate the number yourself.
What if I'm on a time-of-use plan?
Bill Scout handles both flat-rate and time-of-use bills. If your bill includes peak, shoulder, and off-peak usage breakdowns, these are used directly in the comparison.
Will switching plans definitely save me money?
Not necessarily. Bill Scout shows you the comparison based on published rates and your historical usage. Actual savings depend on whether your usage patterns change, how the provider applies conditional discounts, and other factors. Always confirm the details directly with any provider before switching.