The Electricity Plan You Chose Last Year Could Be Costing You More in 2026

When was the last time you checked your electricity plan?

If the answer is "when I moved house" or "when I first signed up", there is a chance you're paying for a plan that no longer suits your household.

The problem isn't necessarily that your electricity retailer has dramatically increased your prices.

Sometimes, the problem is simply that the market has changed while your plan hasn't.

Electricity plans are made up of different charges, including usage rates and daily supply charges. The Australian Energy Regulator explains that the daily supply charge applies regardless of how much electricity you consume, while variable charges depend on your electricity usage and tariff.

That means using less electricity isn't always enough to reduce your bill.

Your household may have changed

Think about your electricity usage a year ago.

Perhaps you worked outside the home most days.

Now you might work remotely.

Maybe you've bought an electric vehicle.

Perhaps you've installed solar panels.

You could have added a second refrigerator, changed your heating and cooling habits or started using more electricity during certain times of the day.

Your electricity plan may have been suitable when you chose it.

But if your usage has changed, the economics of that plan may have changed too.

This is why comparing electricity plans isn't just about finding the lowest advertised price.

It's about finding a plan that matches how you actually use electricity.

The market is changing too

Australia's electricity market isn't standing still.

For 2026–27, the Australian Energy Regulator changed the Default Market Offer in several regions. Residential flat-rate standing offer prices fell by between 3.4% and 5.0% in NSW and by 7.2% in South East Queensland, while South Australia saw a 1.4% increase.

There are also new products entering the market.

The Solar Sharer Offer, for example, now gives eligible households in NSW, South Australia and South East Queensland three hours of free electricity each day, subject to its conditions.

That means a plan that made sense last year could potentially be beaten by a newer option.

Why checking once isn't enough

This is where many households fall into the same trap.

They compare plans.

They switch.

Then they forget about electricity for another year.

But the market continues moving.

New offers appear. Pricing changes. Household usage changes. Government policies change.

So instead of treating electricity comparison as a once-a-year chore, what if it happened continuously?

That's the idea behind SwitchLoop

SwitchLoop is designed around three simple actions:

Monitor → Automatically switch → Monitor again.

Rather than leaving you on the same electricity plan indefinitely, SwitchLoop's proposition is to keep looking for better options and act when there is an opportunity to improve your deal.

The objective isn't to chase every new electricity offer.

It's to avoid becoming complacent.

Your electricity plan should be earning its place

The fact that you've been with the same provider for years doesn't necessarily mean you've got the best deal.

And switching providers isn't automatically the answer either.

The better question is:

Is my current plan still competitive for the way my household uses electricity?

That is a question worth asking regularly.

Because your electricity usage changes.

The market changes.

And your plan should change with it.

With continuous monitoring, you don't have to rely on remembering to check every few months.

You can let the system keep watching.

That's the thinking behind SwitchLoop: don't just switch once. Keep your electricity plan in the loop.