The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has published the approved Queensland and South Australian electricity distributors’ initial pricing proposals for network charges in 2025–26.
This follows an assessment by the AER of each of the proposals and proposed drivers to ensure they are consistent with the National Electricity Rules and each distributors’ recently released five-year regulatory revenue determination for the 2025–30 period.
In 2025–26 network charges are mostly increasing, the main drivers being the revenue paths set in the applicable determination and inflation. Other factors include approved amounts for cost pass-through events and, for South Australia, increases in transmission costs. Increases are partially offset by the return of previously over-recovered revenues, decreased incentive scheme amounts for Energex and Ergon Energy and, for Energex and SA Power Networks, forecast increases in consumption.
Our Statement of Reasons for each electricity distributor provides a summary of the changes in network charges and demand forecasts.
These network charges will be incorporated into retail electricity prices for the upcoming 2025–26 year. Retailers ultimately determine how these underlying network charges are reflected in the retail prices offered to customers. The Queensland Competition Authority sets regulated prices for regional Queensland retail customers on the Ergon Energy network, and therefore the noted impacts may not be experienced by these customers.
The AER acknowledges that electricity bills are a concern to many households and businesses. We encourage consumers to use the AER’s Energy Made Easy website, our free and independent price comparison tool, to find the best deal to suit their needs.
The AER has used the approved network charges for South-East Queensland and South Australia in the final 2025–26 Default Market Offer published today.
A copy of all the approved network charges can be accessed here.
View the approved proposals and our Statement of Reasons for each distributor here:
Queensland
South Australia