How we compare
What goes into every estimate, how results are ordered, where the data comes from, and what we cannot know.
Estimated cost, not the headline price
For electricity and gas we work out what a plan would cost over a full year at a stated usage: the daily supply charge for 365 days, your usage charged through the plan's own blocks, time-of-use windows and seasons, any controlled load and demand charges, minus guaranteed discounts and any solar feed-in credit. Retailers publish these prices without GST; we add GST so every figure is what you would actually pay.
For internet and mobile we count every month of the first two years: introductory prices for as long as they last, then the ongoing price, plus setup, modem and delivery fees and minus one-off credits. You see the first-year, second-year and 24-month cost, and the ongoing monthly price. For home security we add hardware and installation to the ongoing monitoring and cloud fees.
Usage we assume when you do not tell us
| Service | Reference usage | By household size | Time-of-use split |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | 4,000 kWh a year | 1: 2,500, 2: 3,800, 3: 4,800, 4: 5,600, 5: 6,800 kWh | 40% peak, 25% shoulder, 35% off-peak |
| Gas | 20,000 MJ a year | 1: 10,000, 2: 15,000, 3: 20,000, 4: 25,000, 5: 30,000 MJ | Not used |
These are our own working assumptions, not official figures. Your own usage from a bill always gives a better estimate. A single bill cannot give an exact yearly figure, because usage changes with the seasons.
Conditional discounts
Discounts that depend on something you do, such as paying on time or by direct debit, are left out of the main figure and shown separately. You can choose to include them if you are sure you will meet the condition.
How results are ordered
By default results are ordered by estimated cost, lowest first. You can instead choose "best overall match", which weighs cost, contract flexibility and how well a plan meets what you asked for. The weights for each service are:
- Electricity: cost 80%, contract flexibility 10%, matching your needs 10%.
- Gas: cost 80%, contract flexibility 10%, matching your needs 10%.
- Internet and NBN: cost 75%, contract flexibility 15%, matching your needs 10%.
- Mobile: cost 75%, contract flexibility 15%, matching your needs 10%.
- Home security: cost 75%, contract flexibility 15%, matching your needs 10%.
Payments from providers are not part of the ranking. A sponsored placement is shown in a separate box marked Sponsored and is never numbered among the results. How we make money
Location and eligibility
Energy prices depend on the distribution network that serves your address, so we only show plans published for your postcode or network. Some plans are only for new customers, solar owners, seniors or people with a particular meter. We show those conditions on every plan; please check them with the provider.
Freshness
Every result shows when we last checked it. If a plan has not been checked within 14 days (electricity), 14 days (gas), 14 days (internet and nbn), 14 days (mobile), 30 days (home security), we say the data may be out of date.
What we do not cover
We do not hold every plan in the market. Western Australia and the Northern Territory have separate electricity arrangements and little public plan data. Internet speeds, mobile coverage and installation quotes depend on your address. Any estimated saving is the difference between two estimates, not a promise.