I’m Joe from Smarta Switch in Brisbane, and “what should I be paying per kWh?” is probably the question I get asked most. Everyone wants one number. The honest answer is that there isn’t one, business electricity rates in Queensland swing a lot depending on your size, your tariff and when you signed. But I can give you realistic ranges, tell you what moves them, and, just as important, explain why chasing the lowest c/kWh can still leave you with an expensive bill.
These figures move constantly with the wholesale market, so treat them as a guide, not a quote. The only number that’s truly accurate is the one on a comparison run against your actual bill.
We’re paid by the energy retailer when you switch, never by you.
Why there’s no single “average” rate
Your per-kWh rate isn’t one fixed market price. It’s built from several moving parts:
- Wholesale energy cost, what your retailer pays into the market, which rises and falls daily and seasonally.
- Network charges (Energex), the cost of the poles and wires, regulated and updated each July.
- Environmental and government levies.
- Your retailer’s margin, which includes their cost to serve and, often, a small broker commission if you used one.
Stack those together and the rate you see depends heavily on your site: a tiny shop and a busy workshop are quoted very different numbers, and someone who signed last month gets a different rate to someone who signed two years ago. That’s why “the average” is close to meaningless for any individual business. (Here’s how all those charges show up on the bill.)
The realistic ranges we see in 2026 (Queensland, SEQ)
With the caveat above firmly in place, here’s the rough shape of what we see for South East Queensland businesses on the Energex network in 2026. These are ballpark ranges to orient you, not a quote:
- Usage rate (c/kWh): small business sites commonly land somewhere in the mid-20s to mid-30s cents per kWh on flat tariffs, with time-of-use peak rates higher and off-peak rates well below that.
- Daily supply charge: typically a dollar or two-plus per day for small commercial sites, more for larger connections.
- Demand charge (if you have one): priced per kVA of your peak, and on demand-tariff sites this line alone can be 20–40% of the total bill. (Demand charges explained.)
Larger commercial and industrial (C&I) sites, generally above 100 MWh a year, are priced differently again, often through a tender, and their per-unit rates can be sharper because of scale. (How C&I and multi-site pricing works.)
If your usage rate is sitting well above the mid-30s on a standard small-business flat tariff, that’s a flag worth checking, you may have rolled onto an out-of-contract rate. (The most common reason bills creep up.)
The trap: a low c/kWh doesn’t mean a cheap bill
This is the part retailers love and owners miss. The usage rate is only one line. A retailer can advertise a tempting low c/kWh and quietly make it back on:
- a higher daily supply charge,
- a fat demand rate if you’re on a demand tariff,
- a shorter or trickier contract term with exit fees,
- or a low off-peak rate dangled while the peak rate, where most of your usage actually sits, is high.
So comparing two quotes on headline c/kWh alone is how businesses get stung. The only fair comparison applies each quote to your actual usage profile and adds up the total annual cost, every line, not just the shiny rate. (Exactly how to compare quotes properly.)
A “good rate” isn’t the lowest c/kWh. It’s the lowest total bill for how your specific site uses power. Those are often two different retailers.
What actually moves your rate
If you want a sharper number, these are the levers:
- Timing. Signing during a calmer wholesale period beats signing during a spike. The market moves, so when you lock in matters. (The current Brisbane market picture.)
- Your tariff structure. Flat vs time-of-use vs demand changes the whole shape of what you pay. The wrong structure inflates the effective rate. (Queensland tariffs explained.)
- Your usage size and shape. Bigger, steadier sites get sharper rates. A spiky load on a demand tariff pays more for the same kWh.
- Contract vs out-of-contract. A live, competitive contract beats a rolled-over default rate every time, often by a wide margin.
- Whether anyone’s shopping it. A rate nobody’s tested in two years has almost certainly drifted above market.
How to tell if your rate is good
You don’t need a quote to do a first sanity check:
- Find your usage rate(s) on the bill, the c/kWh, split by peak/off-peak if you’re on time-of-use.
- Find your daily supply charge and any demand rate.
- Compare against the ranges above, and more importantly, against a current quote from another retailer for the same site.
- Check your contract status. Expired or missing end date? You’ve likely rolled onto a dear default rate, and that’s usually the biggest single fix available.
If your numbers sit at the top of the ranges, or above them, there’s a good chance the market would beat your current deal today.
What to do this week
- Pull your last full bill and note your c/kWh, daily supply charge, demand rate, and contract end date.
- Don’t trust the headline rate alone, the total annual cost for your usage is what counts.
- Get a real comparison. Upload your bill on this page or email hello@smartaswitch.com.au. I’ll tell you exactly what your effective rate is, how it compares to the market right now, and what your total bill should look like across 8+ retailers. Usually back the same day. No cost, no commitment, because we’re paid by the energy retailer when you switch, never by you.
Everyone wants the one magic number. The truth is your right rate is personal to your site, and the only way to know yours is to test it. The ranges here tell you whether it’s worth looking. A comparison tells you what to do about it.
Joe Lawrence, Co-founder, Smarta Switch Australia 0435 642 592 · joe@smartaswitch.com.au